Kekini
by C-chan96
Summary: When Connie's family takes a summer trip to Hawaii, she invites Charlie along for the ride. Spending time on an island alters their lives in ways they never thought possible. Sometimes it takes living your fantasy to realize what you've wanted all along.
1. Chapter 1

Alrighty, this is Chels here. This story is being co-written by Meme-Ann and myself, and it was inspired from the LiveJournal Eden Hall RPG, just as many things are. This chapter was written by **Meme**, not me, and I'll take the next, so on so forth. Basically, Connie POVs are Meme's and Charlie POVs are mine. Enjoy! ;)

Disclaimer- We don't own the Mighty Ducks! Shocking!

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-Connie's POV- 

Ugh. It's 5:00 AM during the summer vacation, and here I am, awake.

This just isn't right. I should be fast asleep, comfy in my fluffy, soft bed, not to be disturbed until noon. Unfortunately, I'm not. There are currently six people running up and down the halls of my house in a frantic, frenzied last minute attempt to make sure they've packed everything they may need for our family trip to Hawaii.

How does a poor girl from District Five end up with a family trip to Hawaii? Well before I explain that, maybe I should tell you about the family. All six people…seven if you count me.

My parents were married just out of high school...mainly because my mother Molly was pregnant with my older brother Taylor. Soon after Taylor was born, my mother took to partying, and let's just say she wasn't the model wife and mother. By the time my younger brother Shawn was born, my mom was hooked on cocaine. My father, Roger, just couldn't take it anymore and filed for a divorce. I personally think that was the best decision he's ever made.

He raised us on his own for about five years before my grandpa died, thus driving us to move in with my Granny to help take care of her. Granny's kind of strict, and she really doesn't like me much, but my Daddy balanced her out. He did and awesome job raising us if I do say so myself. Nineteen year old Taylor is a super jock; he plays hockey, softball, and wrestles for his school. Ten-year-old Shawn is an honor roll student who plays for the original Ducks, that D5 team. And I'm a sixteen-year-old, hockey player/cheerleader with a scholarship to Eden Hall Academy.

About a year ago this really awesome woman brought her '56 Chevy into the garage my Dad works at for an inspection sticker. She told him how she restored the car by herself and had a large collection of classic cars. They started talking about it, and before they knew it, they had a date planned. A few months later they eloped, merging the Souza-Martin family with the Moreaus.

We now live in Sheryl's extraordinarily large house in the slightly ritzy side on Minneapolis. My family almost doubled in size. Not only did my brothers and I acquire a new mom, but Sheryl has two kids of her own. A twenty-one-year-old Marine biology student son named Alex and an eighteen-year-old fellow Eden Hall student daughter named Elisha.

With this many people in the house, you can image the chaos right now. I tie my bathrobe around my waist and peer out into the hallway. You know that scene from "Home Alone" right before they leave for the airport and the house is in total disarray? Yeah, right now, this is worse.

"Shawn, you need to get dressed!" my father chides, dragging my little brother down the corridor by his leg.

Elisha pops out of the bathroom in a towel. "Mom, do you have my hair dryer?"

"Where're my headphones?" Taylor runs up the stairs to his room and begins to throw things out of the hall closet.

Sheryl runs past me, digging in her purse and muttering to herself about the tickets while Alex tries to explain to his parrot that we're going away for a few days. I went to bed in my house with my family and woke up in a cheesy family comedy. Tell me again why I passed up the chance to spend the Fourth of July at the park with my friends like I do every year? Oh, that's right. We're going to Hawaii. Duh.

There's a knock at the door, and everyone freezes. I stifle a giggle as my dad, who's in the middle of pulling Shawn's shirt over his head, drops my brother. Shawn bounces like a rubber ball and gives my father a glare. Everyone just looks at each other and suddenly scrambles to get clothes on.

I sigh and shake my head and start down the stairs to open the door.

"Relax. It's just Charlie, people."

My father follows me down the stairs, struggling with his and Sheryl's suitcases behind him. "I bet it's the van. They're not supposed to be here for forty-five minutes. They're early."

"Dad, it's Charlie. Trust me."

"Connie, Charlie hasn't been on time for anything in his life; I find it hard to believe he's going to start this morning."

I sigh and shake my head. With a smirk, I open the door to reveal my life-long friend, Charlie Conway. He's sitting on the tallest bag of his luggage with his arms folded across his chest and a tired smile on his lips. His eyes are slightly glazed, hair still messy, and I'm certain he just rolled out of bed and grabbed whatever dirty clothes on the floor smelled the least. I grin and step back to let him in.

"Hello Charles." My father knits his brow at me. "How'd you know it was him?"

I shrug. "I just did."

I honestly don't have a better answer to that question. I guess being friends so long kind of gives Charlie and I this weird connection. He knows what I'm thinking before it pops into my head, finishes my sentences...it's amazing. I don't think I've ever been closer to anyone in my life.

As my father goes back up to finish forcing Shawn into clothes, I turn to Charlie. "You look exhausted."

He just flashes me his usual trouble-smile. "I'm up before noon, Cons. This is torture for me."

"Oh, well if that's how you feel, you can just go home and go back to sleep. I'm sure Jesse could get some stuff together in time to get here before we leave." I laugh.

Charlie leans against the wall and shakes his head. "Hey, Connie, I really wanted to thank you for inviting me. It sure beats sitting home with Mom and Scott all summer."

He must be tired; he's being polite. This is not my Charlie. "Well, you know, Dad and Sheryl didn't think I'm old enough to take off on my own in a strange place like Alex, Tay, and Elisha. Guy's at hockey camp for another week; you won by default," I tease.

My friend smiles and gives the tie on my robe a little tug. It opens, he laughs, I kick him in the shin, he winces, I apologize. We're terrible; it's like one of those weird ABC comedies or something. Most people think there's something strange about the way we interact, but personally, I don't know anything else. It's normal to me.

"You better get dressed before I go on vacation with your family, and you have to stay here." He chuckles.

I stick out my tongue and head up to my room to change. He's such a dork. An immature dork. An immature dork with amazing blue eyes. Whoa, where did that come from? I didn't just say that. Ignore it, please.

A half hour later, we're all being shuffled into the airport transport van that my folks called. We have so much baggage that it's taking up half of the van, forcing me to sit with Charlie. We've only been on the road for about five minutes before he starts poking me. It wouldn't be so annoying if I wasn't so tired. I think waking up this early is just starting to catch up with me.

"Charlie, stop it." I groan, jerking my torso sharply away from him.

He frowns. "What's wrong, Cons?"

"I'm just tired; I don't wanna play with you right now."

"Oh, well, come here." Charlie puts his hands on my shoulders and pulls me back a little toward him. I nestle my head against his shoulder and close my eyes. I feel so at ease with him, it's incredible. I hope everyone has someone in their life that's like their other half. Within minutes of laying my head on shoulder, I've drifted to sleep, completely comfortable.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer- Okay, I'm too lazy to do one of these in every chapter, but I needed to say in this one that believe it or not, I did not make up "Chelsea Plasticware." I saw it at the airport last time I flew…so I need to disclaim it. Heh.

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Charlie's POV- 

Connie slept the whole ride to the airport. Granted, I wasn't complaining or anything; it was comfortable enough.

We drag all of our luggage through the last of the seemingly-endless check points in which we were constantly checked for drugs and dangerous things like pocket knives and toenail clippers. Connie's older brother Taylor and I have both been checked, and they confiscated his drink from the food court when we walked into the plane area. He wasn't too pleased. Alex, Connie's step-brother, found it pretty amusing. He had insisted it would happen, but Tay wouldn't believe it. Four dollars and fifty-five cents down the drain.

I paced back and forth a little as we waited in the designated area, surrounded by our fellow Hawaii-bound passengers…or they would be once we got on the plane, I guess. Whatever. Close enough.

"Could you cut that out? You're making me dizzy," Connie said with a chuckle, snapping me out of my distracting pacing.

"Heh, sorry."

"Now boarding for O'ahu…" The mechanical voice barely filters through the animated crowd.

"That's us. Come on," Mr. Moreau says, standing up to lead the way for us. I wait for Connie as she grabs her carry-on and finds her place next to me.

Within minutes, we're seated on the plane and waiting for further instruction as if strapping on the seatbelt when the light came on and refraining from smoking on the plane isn't obvious at all. But with some people, I guess you just never know.

I somehow ended up with the window seat, though the eighteen-wheeler with "Chelsea Plasticware" and a giant picture of a plastic fork slapped on the side is hardly captivating scenery.

My runway-gazing is interrupted as the inevitable "please buckle your seatbelts, put your tray table up, and put your seat up in the full upright position" pre-flight speech begins. I glance at Connie sitting next to me and notice she's chewing her lip a little. I chuckle at the obsessive tap of her foot, knowing the reality has pretty much jolted her awake.

"Excited?" I ask her.

She snoots me a smile and nods a little. When I tip my head at her foot, she glances at it and instantly turns red, ceasing the steady tap, tap, tap. "Sorry," she says, biting her lip with a grin. "Just ready to be there."

I chuckle a little, and the plane jolts to a start, making the idea of Hawaii finally become the reality of Hawaii.

Once the turbulence calms, the ride smooths and those orange seatbelt lights switch off.

I stare out the window and watch the city shrink until it's difficult to distinguish the details. It's really pretty fascinating, considering we have a thirteen hour trip, and soon enough there will be nothing but ocean water to stare at.

I feel Connie's knee press against mine, snapping my attention to my left where she's sitting. She points to the stewardess, who then asks if I'd like a drink or some peanuts.

"I'll have a Dr. Pepper," I say.

"Weirdo," Connie says into her can of grape soda.

"Weirdo? You're the weirdo, with your _grape soda_," I tease, sticking out my tongue and taking my drink from the stewardess.

She smiles sweetly and holds out her small package of peanuts. "Want one?"

"Shut up," I say with a laugh, swatting her shoulder and making her curl up a little with a giggle.

She looks up at me with big doe eyes, containing herself and feigning innocence. "Whatever do you mean, Charlie? Do you not like peanuts?" she says as another small giggle escapes.

"You've nearly killed me once already in my life; need you do it again?" I say as I flick the side of her head.

She squeaks and pulls her legs up against her chest. "I was six! It was an honest mistake! I didn't mean for them to be nut-infested death brownies." She sticks out her tongue and scrunches her face at me.

"We all know you were just trying to kill me. Don't try to act all innocent."

"Fine, fine, it's true! You stole my blue marker in class that Tuesday, and I was just consumed with rage. I knew I had to take you out," she says melodramatically, throwing herself back against the seat and flinging her arm to her forehead.

"Finally, after nine long years, the culprit admits to her crime," I say as seriously as I possibly can, causing us both to burst into laughter.

"Both of you, quiet down a bit and quit disturbing the other passengers," Mr. Moreau says in between his engaging conversation with Connie's step mom Sheryl.

"Yes, children, grow up," Taylor says with a joking taunt in his voice from the seat in front of us.

"Shut up, Tay," Connie says, making a face before turning back to me. "I suppose I'll refrain from killing you today. I'd hate to get bored in Hawaii, after all."

"I'm a bundle of excitement. You would definitely miss me," I say, winking at her and nudging her with my elbow.

She laughs and nudges me back. "You wish. I'm only using you so I won't have to walk around with Tay or Shawn or something," she says, winking back playfully.

"That hurts. I don't like you anymore," I say, turning away to look out the window and sticking my nose up in the air poshly.

"My, aren't we snobby?" she says with a small smirk.

"Don't talk to me."

"Please, don't rob me of such a joy."

"Sorry, but I have to. You deserve to suffer. You don't get to come to my birthday party now."

It's taking a lot of effort to keep my face straight; luckily it's a skill that we can summon at will at this point.

She grabs my upper arm, sticking her pouting face up near mine. "Nooo! Anything but that. Please don't exile me."

"Nope, you've been voted off the island," I say with a nod, ignoring her pout.

"We're on a plane, genius. We won't be on any islands for at least thirteen more hours," she says with a teasing grin.

"Oh, hush you," I say, trying not to laugh. "Once we land, you are so voted off."

"You can't do that!" She sticks out her tongue and crosses her eyes.

"That's attractive," I say with a chuckle.

"I know," she says, batting her eyelashes and keeping her eyes crossed. A few seconds pass before she jolts a little and uncrosses her eyes. "Wait, that's _my_ line, you butt!" she exclaims, feigning horror and whacking me on the arm.

"Oh, my bad. Didn't mean to steal your line." I grin.

She scrunches her face. "You thief!"

"What're you gonna do about it?" I ask, sticking out my tongue.

"Hrmph. Just give me time," she says, resting her head on my shoulder with a small yawn. "I'll get you back when you least expect it."

I could practically see the energy start to drain from her as she yawned again. The more I watched her yawning, the sleepier I became myself. It's always said that yawns are contagious, and I believe it to be true.

"I'll be ready. You're on, Moreau," I say, a small yawn escaping despite my efforts to repress it.

"I say it's naptime. We've got thirteen hours to kill, afterall. I don't think we'll miss anything."

I nod, feeling the exhaustion prior to getting on the plane return. I just wasn't cut out for mornings.

She snuggles against my arm, gently shutting her eyes. I can smell her shampoo. I'm not sure of what the exact scent is, but I know it's one of those tropical fruit type smells. Probably Herbal Essences, if I'm remembering her shampoo choice correctly. Why exactly I know that, I'm not sure.

I'm not sure how long I sat there before drifting off to sleep, but our little naps knocked out several hours of the longwinded trip. The rest of the hours filled with card games, CD player-snatching, and the playful arguing we had adopted over the years. For awhile we even got to watch Taylor hit on the young, blonde stewardess. He, Connie, and I adopted her as our stewardess after that. Whenever she would walk down our aisle, we would all greet her. It made the thirteen hour flight at least a _little_ less monotonous.

So here we are, thirteen hours and twenty-eight minutes later, moving in closer and closer to our destination. I glance out the window and see the island approaching…or rather, I see what _looks_ like the island approaching, though it's actually _us_ that's approaching the island…but does that matter at a moment like this? No.

"Connie," I say, nudging her without taking my eyes from the view outside the window.

"Yeah?"

"Look," I say, motioning to the window.

She moves over me to glance outside, barely leaning her back against my chest. As we fly over the beaches, she stares out the window. "It's gorgeous…"

Frankly, I'd have been content to let that moment last just a little bit longer, but as sure as the sun shines and Averman tells bad jokes, we eventually landed, taking me from one unreality to another unreality.

A voice floats through the plane, finalizing the trip. "Welcome to O'ahu. I hope everyone enjoyed their flight…"


	3. Chapter 3

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Connie's POV- 

Hawaii. We're not even out of the airport yet, and the air already smells cleaner, the sun already looks brighter, and the people seem happier. I can not wait to step out on to the sandy soil of this amazing island.

But first, luggage claim. This ought to be fun.

As we stand at baggage claim watching the little carousel thing, I become aware of the shadow that has fallen over me…like I'm in the shade of a large tree. I tip my head slightly to see; I'm surrounded by three, very huge men. It's slightly freaky. Granted it's just Charlie, Alex and Taylor, and I have no reason to be alarmed, but I am. Why is this? Simply speaking, it's because I'm 5'2", 5'3" if I'm wearing the right shoes. I use to freak out on Guy when he leaned over me like that, and he's only like 5'9". These guys are somewhere between 6" and 6'4".

It's terrifying - you have no idea. They of course think it's hilarious. Taylor, my brother and the tallest of the trio, has this smirk on his face. I swear to you my best friend is going to wake up dead tomorrow. I'm going to kill him with my bare hands. I squeak and try to slink away, only to have Charlie skillfully toss me over his shoulder like I weigh nothing at all.

"Daddy!" I shriek, causing everyone in a ten mile radius to turn in our general direction.

I instantly feel my cheeks tinting pink. Okay, maybe that was a little too loud. Taylor and Alex retreat a couple feet, plastering on phony, innocent smiles. Innocent my butt, they probably put him up to this. I do not like my family.

My father turns his head and narrows his eyes. Eep. This isn't going to be good. But rather then yelling he drops his voice to a stern, angry whisper. "Constance, do not cause a scene; and Charles, put down my daughter and step away."

Yup, Constance and Charles, not Connie and Charlie. This is how you know you're in trouble with my father. He knows never to call me Constance; he only does it when he's really displeased with me. This vacation is off to a lovely start already.

Charlie takes a step back and starts to lower me to the floor, but before my feet touch the ground, I swing back my leg and slam it into his leg, kicking him in the shin as hard as I can. I know you're probably thinking that's a bit harsh for the offence, but in all actuality, I've kicked him so many times during the course of our friendship, he may in fact not feel it anymore.

I stump a few feet away and stand there with my arms crossed in front of my chest and scowl on my face. The big jerk. Why does everything have to be a game with him? I call him a stupid jock, but then I'd be insulting both my other teammates and myself. So I guess I won't be doing that. And where the heck is my suitcase?

As I'm standing there annoyed and tapping my foot agitatedly, I feel a pair of arms come tightly around my waist. It's Charlie; I know it is - he always does this when he's in trouble. The bastard. He cheats. This is an unfair tactic, you know. I feel his chin rest on my head and heave a sigh. You know, if Guy had learned to do this when he was in trouble, we probably wouldn't have broken up.

I'm just about to turn around and give him a smile before I feel a soft kiss dropped on the back of my neck. A shiver runs the length of my spine and I whip around, with my hands on my hip. I glare angrily and he gives me this big grin that I'd like nothing more than to wipe off his face with my fist. I shove him roughly and walk away to stand with my Dad, casting glances over my shoulder at Charlie's dumbfounded expression.

After the last piece of luggage (my very large purple duffle bag) is claimed, we all load into the tram to the hotel. I of course make a big production of not sitting with Charlie, which just makes everyone roll their eyes. I rest my head against the window and sigh. I'm so tired. We departed at 10:00 AM, and the flight was over thirteen hours.

Unfortunately with five hour time difference, it's only dinner time and I can't sleep when the sun's out. This means no sleep for me.

As we drive, I stare out at the breath-taking scenery that seems to surround us at every side. I wish I could paint it all. Just sit there in the sand with my easel, for endless hours, capturing every ounce of beauty, with the strokes of my brush.

The hotel is just as gorgeous, if you're the type that feels a man made structure can hold the same amount of magnificence as something created by Mother Nature. It's huge, and I have to strain my neck just to see the top. I wonder what floor our room's on…I hope it's high enough that I can see everything from the window. I don't want to miss a thing.

As the luggage compartment of the tram is open, everyone shuffles over to get their things. Everyone except for me, at least. I'm caught up with staring up at the towering palm tree beside me. I've never seen one up close before. It's amazing. It must be at least twenty-five feet around at the base. The sheer size is amazing. If a coconut fell off of one of these and hit me, it would kill me instantly.

While I'm still studying the enormous fern, I'm tapped on the shoulder.

I spin around to see Charlie standing there with my duffle in his hand.

I snatch it quickly and rest it on the ground beside me. My friend just frowns.

"What's the matter, Cons?" His deep blue eyes were filled with a mix of hurt and confusion.

"I don't wanna talk to you right now, Charlie."

"What? Why? What did I do, Connie?"

"You know what you did!" I sneer, pushing past him to rejoin the group at the bus.

"Trouble in paradise?" Taylor asks, as I storm over.

Alex laughs. "Yeah, are you two love-birds having issues, Connie?"

Elisha reaches over and slaps her brother in the arm, and I give her a 'thank you' smile. It's good to have another girl along…because I'm already going out of my mind, and we haven't even gotten to see our rooms yet. Hopefully the hotel's as overwhelming on the inside as it is on the outside.

"Alexander, leave your step-sister alone," Sheryl warns, picking up her bag. "And let's get inside before we miss our reservation and they give our suites away."

"Our suites?" Shawn looks up at her confused.

My Dad nods. "Yes, we got two two-room suites. One for the older kids to share, and the other for Sheryl, me, and you, little man."

Oh lovely. I'm sharing a suite with Charlie, Taylor, and Alex. Shoot me now. Do you think the plane's left? We've only been here an hour, and I already just want to go home. This is going to be a long week.


	4. Chapter 4

Hello, my loves. :) I'm so sorry this took so long…Chels is a lazy procrastinator. :slaps wrists: And the last bits of school have been pretty hectic. Yeah...and it's so weird not responding to reviews. OO Maybe I'll do them all at one time some day, but it is 2 AM right now, and I stayed up all night typing this, so I think it can wait. I hope you guys enjoy it, and that it was worth the wait.

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Charlie POV- 

Taylor, Alex, and I all walked into the large suit, luggage in our grips.

"This is it," I say with appreciation.

Taylor, however, makes a beeline for the bed nearest the door and throws himself on it. "I call bed!"

"There's three of us, Tay. We have to share," Alex says.

"No way – this bed it mine," Taylor says, shaking his head. "I'm sure as heck not sharing with you."

"Tay, stop being a baby. If you won't share with me, then you can share with Charlie, but you're not getting that bed to yourself."

"There is _no way_ I'm sharing with you guys. This bed is mine; I claimed it," Taylor protests firmly.

"Three people, two beds, Taylor. Do the math," I say as I look between the two beds, wondering how long it will take to get an agreement.

"You and Alex can share."

"Why can't you two share? You're practically related now," I ask, scrunching my face.

"You don't get a choice," Taylor says with a nod.

"Why's that?" I ask.

"Because I'm older than you, so I know what's best. Getting my own bed is definitely what's best."

"Why, Taylor? Do you still wet the bed?" I ask with a grin.

Taylor glares. "Shut up. I don't wet the bed."

"Okay, I am taking charge here, being as I am the oldest," Alex interjected. "I will get one bed; Taylor, you'll get the other bed; and Charlie, you can sleep on the couch."

The room is silent for a second before we all begin to unload our things, accepting the decision - at least we all get our own bed. I'm just glad I didn't end up on the floor.

I have to admit the suite really is nice. It's a good thing Connie's step-mom is so loaded. This is going to be an incredible trip – definitely more exciting than spending my summer days cooped up with my mom and evil step-dad.

Though the fact that Connie refuses to speak to me _might _put a slight damper on the trip.

"Guys, I'm going to wander around a bit until dinner," Connie says, peeking her head in the door as I finish unpacking the last of my stuff. "Call my cell if you need me."

Watch as she disappears through the door, my unmade bed suddenly of no concern to me. (Not that it is ever of concern to me.) I wonder what it's going to take this time to get back on her good side.

A snapping noise jolts me out of my thoughts, suddenly leading me to realize Taylor's hand is now in my line of vision, blocking where the door had been. I glance up and see a smirk on his face.

"Welcome back."

"Shut up, Tay," I say, rolling my eyes and going back to what I was doing.

"You were staring at Connie. Are you in loooove with my sister?" he taunts with a smirk.

I busy myself with putting my clothes in the dresser drawer assigned to me – that way I can hide the sudden heat on my face. Curse you, Taylor. Curse you. Besides, she isn't even speaking to me…yet. But I plan to fix that. "You know, Tay, for Connie's cool older brother, you sure are an idiot sometimes."

"You know, Charlie, for being my sister's secret luster, you sure hide it well…something," he taunts again with a joking grin.

"Shut up!" I chunk a pillow at his head, hitting him in the face and making him laugh. "I do not lust Connie! Get off it."

"You do to."

"Do not."

"Do to."

"Do not. I think I would know if I did."

"You're just in denial," he says matter-of-factly before his face breaks into a grin again.

I shake my head and close the drawer. "You're an idiot" I stand up and close the drawer with my foot. "I'm out. See you guys at dinner."

Before Taylor has the chance to taunt my further, I'm safely out the door. Not really sure of my way around the hotel, I get on the elevator and hope I don't end up in some basement or something.

I step out into the lobby and see throngs of other tourists, but alas, no Connie. There's only so many places she could be…I'd call her, but she would either pretend she hadn't heard it and not pick up when she saw it was my number, or she would tell me to leave her alone, thus ruining any chance of "accidentally" finding her.

A head of brown hair catches my attention, and surely enough, it's Connie. She's sitting under a palm tree by the pool, sketching. (If I were a photographer, it would be one of those pictures I would take, but I can hardly work a disposable camera, so I'll settle for simply taking a mental snapshot.)

She doesn't notice me until I'm a few feet from her. "Hey," I say as I sit beside her.

She instantly pulls the sketch to her chest and looks straight forward stiffly.

"You can't hate me forever, you know. I'm afraid you are stuck with me for this entire trip, so you might as well just save yourself the trouble and forgive me now for whatever it was that I did to tick you off."

She gave me a sideways glance. "What do you mean 'for whatever you did'? You know what you did."

I blinked and shook my head. "No I don't."

She continued watching me out of the corner of her eye, and while it's probably my imagination, she appeared to turn a little pink at my staring. She turned her vision forward again and kept her expression even. "Then why should I forgive you?"

"Because you love me and don't want to be stuck with Taylor tomorrow as he scouts out the lady lifeguards?"

She paused a moment. "Hmph. I could always hang with Elisha as we scout out the cute surfer guys," she says with a hint of a tease in her voice. "You're disposable."

"Ooh, burn. That hurts, Connie," I say, knowing that she's forgiven me for now. It's a pretty familiar cycle for us. We've got each other down pat.

A sickly sweet and innocent smile curls on her lips. "You can come scout out cute surfer guys with us too if you want to that badly." She winks at me, and I roll my eyes with a laugh.

"You're not funny."

"Yes I am. And I'm irresistibly, to boot," she says with a giggle and another wink.

I feel my face flush, and I probably have a weird or embarrassed expression on my face because she pinches my cheek and says, "You're too cute sometimes."

My face scrunches, and I bat away her hand with my own. "Have we not discussed cheek-pinching?"

She smiles innocently. "Oops, sorry. Your face was just adorable, and you looked like a little kid, so I felt the impulse."

"Don't let it happen again," I say, poking her arm with my index finger.

"Or else what?" she says tauntingly.

A smirk curls across my lips, and I stand up, scooping her up and slinging her over my shoulder. She squeaks loudly as I stood on the edge of the pool. "Or else I will hurl you into the deep, dark depth that is the hotel swimming pool!"

"Put me down! Charles Joshua Conway, if you don't put me down, I swear I'll scream!"

"Down? Put you down?" I say, moving so she slips into my arms. "Okay," I say nonchalantly, pretending I'm going to drop her in the pool.

"No!" she squeaks, wrapping her arms tightly around my neck and burying her face in my shoulder.

I look down at her, feeling my face flush slightly again at the close contact. I shake myself out of it. "You don't like the deep, dark depth that is the hotel swimming pool?" She shakes her head, her face still buried in my shoulder. She tightens her grip around my neck.

When she peeks up at me, I turn back around to let her back down on the ground. She locks her eyes with mine and stares up at me. I stare back.

Before I even realize what's happening, she pushes me backwards into the water with a big splash. I flail my way back up to the surface and shake my head like a dog trying to dry off. When I blink my eyes open, I see her smirky Cheshire grin.

Without a word, I swiftly push myself out of the water and look at her with a mischievous smile.

She shrieks out a laugh and takes off running around to the other side of the pool.

I run after her and grab her from behind, picking her up and listening to her complaints of me getting her clothes all wet.

"Well, you should have thought of that before you pushed me in," I say with a smile before dropping her in the pool.

She bounced back to the surface of the water and splashed me, obviously trying not to grin. "You jerk! I can't believe you did that!"

"Heh, you were asking for it. I'm a vengeful guy." I hold out my hand to help her back out.

Big mistake.

Within seconds, I'm back in the water. I must admit she's strong for her size.

I was instantly splashed when I came back up, and I splashed back in retaliation.

"You will pay for your crimes!" I say, dunking her under the mid-laugh.

"Evil!" she says, sticking out her tongue and wiping water from her face. "You know I can't dunk you!"

"Not my fault you're short," I say in a teasing sing-song voice.

"Not my fault you're freakishly tall!" she retorts, making a face.

"But you love me anyway," I say with a grin.

"Dork." She flicks my forehead.

I chuckle and climb out of the pool successfully helping her out this time. "I am the King of Dorks. Bow to me."

"You wish," she says, poking my arm.

"Admit it. You're just jealous." I nod as she rings out her hair and nudges me with her elbow.

"I repeat: you wish," she says with a giggle, rolling her eyes.

"The denial is really unhealthy, you know."

"You're beginning to sound like Tay, you know," she teases as she picks up her sketch from early, surprisingly dry and still out of my line of vision.

"Ack, don't say that," I say with a laugh, nudging her as we walk back to the lobby to ask for towels.

"Jesse would be psyched it I told him he was like Tay."

I chuckle. "Yeah, well Jesse worships your brother in a god-like way."

"Yeah. I don't get why," she says with a laugh.

"I know that he's practically my brother in every non-blood sense of the word, but I wouldn't want to steal Jesse's thunder." I grin as we walk inside the building, cold air instantly removing all previous feelings of warmth from outside.

Leaving wet footprints in our wake, we go up to the front desk and ask for towels. They of course oblige.

I put one around Connie's shoulders before proceeding to dry myself off. We're getting dirty looks from the janitor – they must get a lot of wet footprints around here.

When I turn back to Connie, I see that she's already halfway to the elevator. I trot after her, and we fall into step.

"Shall we?" I say, nodding my head over to where her family is gathered, obviously deciding on where to get dinner.

"We shall," she says with a smile as we make our way in that direction.


	5. Chapter 5

Heh, okay…this proves that Meme is a better updater than me. She had this written within hours…yet I am slow. Heh. By the way, to those of you who have me on Author Alert, sorry if you got several alerts last night. Heh. It was very late, and I was having issues.

* * *

-Connie's POV- 

After dinner my family collectively decided the best way to end the evening would be to take a nice dip in the hotel pool. Having already experienced it myself, I opted to go back to our suite and unwind. I changed into my pajamas, got myself a nice glass of ice cold water, and curled up on the sofa.

The room was dark, save the one small lamp by the couch I was using to draw by. The air was crisp and clear, flowing in through the open balcony windows. It was peaceful and quiet - the perfect end to the day. Pulling my knees up to my chin, I rested my sketch pad on them, my pencil dancing across the page. I always work better that way. Then it's just me and my sketches.

I was deep in concentration, the tip of my tongue poking slightly out of the corner of my mouth when I felt eyes on me. Have you ever just felt like you're being watched? It kind of makes you skin crawl…at least I know mine did.

I tipped my head up from the page to see Charlie, hands on hips and scowling. Gah, he's moody. Whatever his problem is, I know I didn't do it. I've been right here all night. I haven't moved an inch.

"You're on my bed," he said, tapping his foot.

I shook my head. "No, I'm on the couch," I replied simply, turning back to my drawing.

"Nope. From morning until bed time, it's the couch; when I want to go to sleep, it's my bed."

For the first time, I noticed the bright pink stain all over the front of his light gray tee, and I raised my eyebrows. "What happened, the pink Teletubbie spit up on you?"

"I'll have you know," he started matter-of-factly, "there is no pink Teletubbie. We were down by the pool, and your little brother got into a splashing fight with some kid who's older brother decided that since I was sitting next to Shawn, I deserved to have punch dumped all over me!"

Honestly, I was more fascinated by his vast Tebetubbie knowledge than what would be later known as 'The Great Punch Incident of 1997.'

I stifled a giggle and nodded. "That must be awful sticky. Maybe you should go take a shower, and we can discuss sofa versus your bed when you come out?"

Charlie nodded and set off into the bathroom. I, in turn, burst into a fit of laughter as soon as I heard the water go on. I'm sure there was more to the punch fiasco then he was letting on. Charlie's not the type to just sit there and let a splash fight go by without getting involved. He's that big of a child.

A little later, a tall shadow fell over me, and I tipped my face up again. Those eyes. Those hypnotic, cobalt orbs. My hands began to shake a little as he leaned over in an attempt to see what I was drawing. I could feel my cheeks started to tint, and I prayed he'd think it was just a trick of the dim light.

"You'll drip on it; go away," I squeaked, pushing him gently from me.

Charlie's trademark grin creased his lips as he shook his damp hair, droplets of water spraying everywhere. My gaze followed as one drop started at the corner of his eye, trickled down his cheek, over his jaw, and made the jump to his bare shoulder…drawing my attention to his lack of a shirt. Cotton drawstring sleep pants hung low on his hips, and I could feel the heat creep back into my cheeks.

Seconds later, he was beside me on the couch, again leaning over me to catch a glimpse of my sketch. I found myself chewing on my lower lip nervously. The proximity suddenly made my heart thump a little quicker. This wasn't right. This shouldn't be happening.

Like the genius I am, I swiftly think of a way to change the subject. Gesturing to the mini fridge, I smiled and suggested we break out some of those little bottles. We could easily access the key; my father had, without thinking, given it to Elisha, as she's the most responsible. My step-sister foolishly left it on her dresser.

"Wouldn't your dad have a cow if he got up here, and we've emptied the mini-bar?" Charlie queried as I knelt beside the cabinet, working open the lock.

I shook my head. "Nope. As long as I'm home and not out causing trouble, he doesn't care if I drink. And as this is home of the next six days…"

With a shrug, my friend reached inside and pulled out the first bottle he touched. In what seemed like one fluid movement, he'd removed the cap and drank down the contents. I have to admit, that shocked me slightly. I'd never seen him drink before, even in all our years of friendship. It was strange.

One hour and a dozen little bottles later, we're cackling like idiots and poking each other. I scurry away and fling myself onto the sofa, using my long forgotten sketchpad as a shield. All of a sudden I'm aware of his closeness once more. I can feel his body heat threatening to burn me.

"What are you doing?" I tried to squirm away slightly, only to be stopped by the arm of the sofa, trapped.

"I'm gonna get a look at that," he reached over, trying to pull down the side of the pad to see, "whether you want me to or not."

His hand brushed mine in the struggle over the pad; I jerked my precious art away from him, falling off of the couch with a thud. Before I knew it, I was pinned to the floor with Charlie's weight pressing me gently in the carpet. My pulse quickened drastically as I lay there, allowing my work to be pried from my hands.

Rather then taking the chance to open the pad and see what he had been so adamant about viewing, Charlie tossed the drawings back onto the sofa, staring deeply into my eyes. I swallowed nervously, hoping he couldn't hear the erratic beating of my heart. I could barely breathe. My head was spinning.

Before I could get out a word asking that he get off me, my lips are occupied in a kiss. A heart melting kiss that had both my mind and my body screaming in complete opposites. My body cried out for more, never wanting this kiss to end; my mind knew in an instant that it was wrong. My hands traveled upward, one resting on his cheek, holding his mouth in place on mine while the other found itself at home on his chest, feeling his heart pound just as swiftly as my own.

And then it was over. He moved his head to kiss my neck gently and ruined the moment. The fantasy broke around me like glass as I rolled from under him. I grabbed my drawing and ran into my room, locking the door behind me. Safe in my bed, I let one lone, confused tear trickle from my eye. What was happening?


	6. Chapter 6

Errr…as I already do all of the author's notes, I will also take over responding to reviews. It feels weird not responding, as I have done it to pretty much every chapter of every story I've written. :) They will be found at the bottom after the chapter.

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-Charlie's POV-

That splitting pain in my head isn't normal. I know it isn't normal. Neither is the searing pain that stabs at my eyes when I try to blink them open.

Groaning a little, I roll onto my side and glance around the room. Alex and Taylor are both sleeping in their respective beds, seemingly out like a light. When my vision completely focuses, I see several bottles still scattered on the floor and a few more in the trash can. The mini fridge is swung completely open.

Suddenly the night before hits me full force, and I clench my eyes closed again.

Connie.

I groan again and cover my face with my hands, half to block out the rude sunlight and half out of humiliation. I was kind of hoping that was a dream…would've been a nice dream… a _very_ nice dream, at that, but if Connie remembers it…ooh, the awkwardness. As if it wasn't bad enough already…

At least we didn't do anything _too _stupid. I'm still dressed, and she's not in here, afterall.

But _still_. Ugh, I sincerely hope she doesn't remember…because the weirdness would just be…weird…and make this trip very uncomfortable. If she says anything, I will pretend I have no idea what she's talking about. Yes, I am a good pretender.

Forcing myself to sit up, I swing my legs off the couch and rest my feet on the thickly carpeted floor. My eyes graze the empty alcohol bottles again, and I sigh, knowing I should pick them up. Maybe if I'm lucky, Tay and Alex didn't see them last night…otherwise I will likely be hearing about it for awhile. They think it's fun to taunt me…though I usually fail to see the fun in it all.

I gather up the bottles and toss them in the trash can, kicking the mini fridge closed again.

Seeing the trash can full of empty bottles, I decide I should probably go ahead and take out the trash while I'm at it. I pull the plastic bag out of the plastic trash can, tying up the top and walking out into the hallway.

Before I even have the chance to close the door, I find myself face to face with Connie. Instantly all the words in the English language leave me, and that semester of speech class does me absolutely no good. So much for real-life application.

"Uhhh…hey," I managed to stutter out with a nod, making my pounding head hurt even more.

"Hey," she says in a slightly strange voice as she glances down at my chest, face instantly flushing.

My own face instantly burns when I realize I forgot to put on a shirt before coming out of the room. Good move. Make it worse.

"I was just, uh, taking out the trash," I say, holding up the bag and nodding as one of the maids walks by.

"Would you like for me to take that?" the maid asks, tilting her head at me.

I feel my face grow hotter. "Uh, yes please," I say, stiffly shoving it into her hand. "I'm gonna go back in there," I say to no one in particular, jabbing my thumb at the room behind me. I turn on my heels and go back into the suite, accidentally slamming the door behind me and throwing myself face down on the couch again.

Smooth. Very smooth. Way to not act awkward at all.

I hear shifting from the beds, and when I look, I see Taylor and Alex pushing themselves out of bed.

"What was that?" Taylor asks, rubbing his face.

"What was what?" I ask.

They both look kind of like zombies. Taylor moreso than Alex, though.

"The door slamming…?" Taylor says, blinking.

I look between them. "I didn't hear anything."

I roll over so I'm facing the back of the couch. I pull my covers over my head again and go back to trying to repress the mild humiliation still left over from the hallway. I will eventually have to leave the room and act normal, so I should get this all out of my system now…

…which is at least slightly easier to do now that I don't have to worry about emptied bottles scattered about the room prompting any weird conversations with Tay or Alex.

"We're heading down to the lobby. You getting up?" Alex asks me.

I shake my head into my arms. "Nah, I'm good. You guys head on down." Those nails being driven into my skull are still pounding away.

Once Taylor and Alex leave the room, I grab my clothes for the day, grab a towel, and go into the bathroom. It doesn't take me long to shower, dress, and generally prepare for the day.

After sufficiently scrubbing my teeth and getting ready, I leave the bathroom, down a few aspirin with a glass of water, and leave the room again.

I get down to the lobby and see everyone except Connie congregated in one area.

"Hey, you decided to join us," Alex comments when I walk over.

"Yep. Where's Connie?" I ask.

"I think she's still up in the suite," Elisha says with a nod.

"Would someone mind getting her? We all need to discuss how we're going to separate out for the day," Mr. Moreau asks.

"I will. I forgot something up there anyway." I say, though in truth, I didn't. Well, unless Connie counts.

"Alright. We'll be waiting," he says as I nod, heading back up to the suite.

When I knock on the door of her side, she answers it with slightly tousled hair, looking about the way I feel.

"Hey…again," I say as, once again, my eloquence with words just knocks me of my mental feet.

"Hey," she says as an awkward silence falls between us. I try to study her without notice to try and sense if she remembers 'the incident' last night. How dramatic that sounds, 'the incident.' Maybe she doesn't remember, and I'm psyching myself out and being a drama queen for nothing.

Not that I'm a drama queen. Because I'm not. Really.

"So…everyone's downstairs," I say with a nod. She nods back.

Silence.

"You coming?" I continue, raising my eyebrows.

"Oh, yeah," she says a little shortly, turning back around into the room and slipping on her sandals. I see her pop an aspirin in her mouth just as I had.

When she comes back to the door, we look at each other for a minute, and I again try and assess what she seems to remember. When she seems to put a wall blocking her thoughts from escaping out her eyes, I give up. We'll say it never happened….although that was my plan anyway.

"Let's go," I say, taking a few steps back to let her out.

"Let's."

Not very talkative this morning, that's for sure.

We walk back down to the lobby and meet up with her family. I occasionally glance at her out of the corner of my eye and know that she's acting strange. I thought I caught her glancing at me too, but I have a pretty active imagination, so it's hard to tell.

"Sheryl and I are taking Shawn to look at souvenirs, so you five are free to do whatever you want for the day as long as you have someone with you and you all make it back by five o'clock this evening," Connie's dad says as Shawn wanders over to stand by him and Connie's step-mom Sheryl.

"Good deal. Guess we'll see you then, dad," Taylor says, and we all wave goodbye as the walk off to fulfill Shawn's souvenir needs…despite the fact that it's only our first whole day.

"So how are we splitting this up? Charlie and Connie, I assume you guys are doing something?" Alex asks, and I feel myself stiffen. Connie and I glance at each other, which sadly is not missed by Taylor.

"Hmm, is there something you're not telling us?" he teases with a small smirk.

She stiffens too and is able to summon speech faster than I can. "No, Tay, there isn't. We're still hanging out. What would you like to do, Charlie?" she asks, seeming pretty in control. If I hadn't seen her pop the aspirin in her mouth earlier, signifying that she likely has a mild hangover as well, I would think I had completely made up last night in my drunken haze.

"Umm…beach?" I suggest.

"Beach, it is," she says with a surefire nod. I just nod back, hoping that her sudden loss of awkwardness will rub off on me.

"Since there's no way I'm getting stuck shopping with Elisha, I will join you guys," Taylor says.

"Hey, neither am I. I guess that means you're stuck with us, Elisha," Alex adds with a nod to his sister.

Elisha makes a face and shakes her head. "Jeeze, what a sacrifice, going to a Hawaiian beach," she says. "I guess Connie and I will hit the shops afterwards?" she questions, and Connie nods back.

"Then that settles everything. Let's go."

Famous last words.

When we get to the beach, Elisha lays out to tan, and Alex and Taylor make a beeline for the surfboards, not-so-subtly attempting to impress the blonde Baywatch lifeguard.

Connie and I stand beside each other in silence, looking around the area. I can feel sand in my sandals already.

Without a word, she walks off to lay by Elisha, while I stand here looking as if I have no place to be. Which I don't.

But hey, I'm on a Hawaiian beach. Who needs a purpose when you can wander around a Hawaiian beach?

I casually glance over at Connie and Elisha and see that they're applying suntan lotion. I peel my eyes away and become very interested in the waves as to prevent staring. I will stick to only one embarrassing moment with Connie in a twenty-four hour window, if it can be helped.

However, the guy standing next to me doesn't seem to think that staring very blatantly at them is rude or inappropriate or embarrassing at all.

I glance evenly at him out of the corner of my eye to see that he's looking them up and down, a small smirk on his lips. My blood boils at the very thought of his eyes grazing _my_ Connie.

Err…umm, not _my_ Connie, but…my…friend Connie. Who I've known a very long time and am perfectly entitled to be protective of. Yes. I am simply protective of her because she is being violated and she doesn't even know it. This is good reasoning.

And although my reasoning is practically flawless, that does not void the fact that he's now making his way over to my…best friend Connie and will likely hit on her in her in five, four, three, two…

Yes, and he takes one more look at her before likely launching out some insanely corny or inappropriate pickup line. He looks like the type. Well you, Surfer Boy, have got another thing coming. There is absolutely no way Connie will fall for your sun bleached hair, beach tan complexion, surfer look.

Ack, who am I kidding? I should get over there quick before she falls for his sun bleached hair, beach tan complexion, surfer look.

Not that I care.

I'm just concerned.

I watch for a moment longer and see Connie stand up, now fully lotioned. She sends a sideways glance at me before turning back to Surfer Boy and giggling in an uncharacteristically Connie way.

Which concerns me slightly. Why is she still talking to him?

Oh, and she reaches down and gets the suntan lotion. He's of course checking her out in a blatantly inappropriate away. Again. Probably told her he needed more suntan lotion. My bet is that was his excuse for intruding on their sacred ritual in the first place. Though it seems to me he has got more than enough lotion, as I feel like the sunlight reflecting could blind me if I look in their general direction much longer. He's gleaming in a very unnatural way. People aren't supposed to be shiny.

I would tell them that, but Connie would just say I'm jealous, which I'm not. Why would I be jealous? He's only the kind of guy that girls always gush about in a slightly obsessive and lustful way. I have no reason to be jealous that Connie is talking to him and smiling at him and sharing her suntan lotion with him. Not _at all_. Because I for one am not a jealous person in the slightest. Not even a little bit. Okay, so _maybe_ I _might_ have the _slightest_, _tiniest_, most _insignificant_ crush on Connie, but I'm not jealous. Nope. Not me.

Okay, crush might be a tiny understatement. More like I…kinda sorta worship the ground she walks on…just not so much because that's too obvious. Obvious is bad. Obvious is bad and embarrassing and warrants peals of laughter, as it would be received as a joke.

And how is it I go off on these tangents? This talking to myself thing really can't be healthy at all.

Okay, he's flirting with her, and by the slightly smirky and amused look she just shot me, I must have a weird expression on my face. Fantastic. Just fantastic.

Time for an intervention.

I walk over and give an overly friendly smile to Connie. "Ahh, hey Cons. Any lotion left, or did Sunshine here use the rest?"

She quirks an eyebrow at me. "Nope, there's still some left."

"Wonderful," I say, taking the lotion from him and plastering on a fake smile. "So who's you're friend?"

She gives me another look. "Well, his name is Seth, and he ran out of suntan lotion, so he asked to use ours."

"Mmhmm," I say, using my amazing self control to restrain a disbelieving look shot in his general direction.

She quirks her eyebrow a little more, a small smirk forming on her lips. "Why, you jealous?"

See, I knew it.

"No," I say shortly. If Connie wasn't standing right there, I would smack that obnoxious smirk forming on Seth the Surfer Boy's face so fast…

"You her boyfriend?" he asks in this very annoying way.

"No," she interjects – a little too quickly, I might even say. I'm slightly insulted. "We're just friends. Since birth, actually."

"Oh, how nice," he says with a crooked grin.

Restraint. Restraint. Restraint.

"Yes, I'm actually very single," she says in an obviously flirty way. I bet she's doing that just because she _knows_ it's getting on my nerves. She wants a reaction because she can tell it's flustering me. She gets a kick out of annoying me. Yeah, well, mission accomplished because I am definitely ready to beat this guy senseless…though I won't.

Because two can definitely play at this game.

* * *

Sarah- I'm glad you like it so far! Thanks for all your reviews. :)

Hockeygirl90- Thank you so much for the reviews! I'm happy you're enjoying the story.

SuperGirl96- Yay Charlie/Connie. :)

Charisma- Hehehe, thanks. Love ya! Handses and ises!

Tiff- Thanks, I'm glad you like them! I try. :P I'm always happy to have your support!

charlienconniefan- Glad you like it. Heh.

Banksiesbabe99- Hee hee, we're all about the playful arguments, yo. :) :giggles: I know right! Bad Connie! Be nice to Charlie. ;) :hides that from Meme: Heh. Yes. Thanks for your unconditional support, Sarah dearest. :)

ShadowofMoonlight- Thanks Adriana. :)

HellsGuardien87- Thanks Emma! Glad you like it. ;)

Blonde-brain- Hee, I'm glad you like their banter. Thanks for the reviews!

zshp1411- Thanks. Heh, go Charlie and Connie. :squishes them:

Pure-Pen- Ha ha, thanks Katie. (Err, I have no idea what you are talking about...:shifty eyes: I would never say that Averman tells bad jokes!) Thanks again, darling!

Sween- Heh, yep, Charlie and Connie. Glad you like it. ;) Thanks for the reviews.

Punkteacher- Thank you so very much! Glad you like the banter. Hee.

SweetNJuicyXO- I think they are quite cute together as well…thus why Meme and I are writing this. Hehe. I'm glad you're enjoying it.

Firecracker12- Thanks! I'm glad you like it!

MsRiley77- Hee, thanks Melissa:scoffs and giggles at your penname: Good stuff. Thanks again!

Me (You!)- Thanks. :)

Emma- Thank you. :) Don't worry. I'm a sucker for romance, but don't tell anyone. :P


	7. Chapter 7

Sorry if the Hawaiian translations in this chapter are wrong. Neither Meme nor I speak the language, so we're using a website for help. Heh, Yeah.

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-Connie's POV- 

A kiss was just a kiss right? Especially when it was alcohol induced, and the other person doesn't even seem to remember what happened. It meant nothing. It's not like Charlie and I are together, and I should have any reason to feel guilty about spending the day, with Seth. He's not my boyfriend; he's just a friend that got plastered and kissed me because I was only girl in the room. Simple as that.

Oh, I wished it had been as simple as that. I liked it. I really had. If I'd just let myself go instead of over thinking the situation, I would've given myself to him right there on the floor. Maybe that makes me sound like a slut, but I don't care. His lips had made my whole body weak. I never wanted it to end, never wanted his comfortable weight to be lifted off me. But it wasn't destined to be.

So why did I have this weird feeling in the pit of my stomach when I saw Charlie looking our way? Almost ashamed, like the little kid that got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Despite of the twinge of guilt I felt, it didn't stop me from wanting to experience Hawaii through the eyes of a real Hawaiian.

"So Seth," I giggled. "are you going to teach me how to surf?"

A perfectly straight, gleaming white smile illuminated his face as he replied, "I'll teach you anything you want, Nani."

"Nani, nani, nani," Elisha repeated to herself, thumbing through her Hawaiian to English translator book.

"It means 'beautiful.'"

I felt my cheeks get warmer as a blush crept up my neck and onto my face. He was certainly a smooth one. And for some reason, I was eating it up. Normally this kind of guy turned me off. That should be pretty obvious – I dated quiet, calm, devoted Guy for five years. Seth was something new and exciting. Maybe it would only be for a week, and as soon as I went back to Minnesota he'd find another tourist, but at least it would be a fun week.

I grinned. "Do you really think I'm nani?"

"Ae," Seth nodded. "Oe are a ono kula pua."

Charlie's eyebrows disappeared beneath his wavy bangs as he raised them. I could tell he was kicking himself just as much for not knowing the language as I was. "We all know you're Hawaiian dude, but believe me, it's going to take more then some smooth beach bum speaking another language to impress Connie. Right, Cons?"

"That depends, on what he just said to me," was my retort.

"Roughly speaking," Seth decided to translate., "I said 'Yes. You are a delicious, golden flower."

That's when Charlie had it. "Screw this," he muttered, getting up from his towel and stomping away.

I sighed loudly and stood up too. "Charlie, where are you going?"

Only to have Seth pull me back down. "Let him go, Nani. He needs to cool off."

I guess he really did need to 'cool off' because next time I saw dear Charlie was a couple hours later while Elisha and I were cruising the shops. After spending an hour helping me pick out a new bathing suit, she wanted ice cream, so we found this cute little hole in the wall place and went in. There, leaning over the counter and flirting shamelessly with some girl with a 'Hi, my name is Krista' name tag, was Charlie.

I bit my lip as Elisha and I approached the counter, trying to pretend as though I had no idea who the tall, sandy haired kid by me was. Notice I said I tried; this is because as soon as I got close enough for Charlie to realize someone was next to him, he cocked his head to look at me.

"Hey Cons, I'd like you to meet Krista; she's going into her senior year in the fall," he said, introducing us.

I just rolled my eyes. "Nice to meet you. Can I have a cookie dough cone, please? Oh, and a cup of rum raisin for my sister."

Krista smiled and went about getting the ice cream together. "Of course."

"Yeah, Krista's going to show me around tonight; we're going to meet up after dinner. Maybe you could get your little friend to come. It could be like a double date," Charlie said with a hint of a smirk, casting a glance at our server.

"Tell me, Conway, does Krista know you're not even sixteen yet? I bet that's important information. I should fill her in on that." I put my hands on my hips.

"You wouldn't dare."

"Wanna test that theory?" I glared.

"What about Keanu, or whatever his name is? Does he know anything about you, other then you look hot in a bikini? That's not the one you had on this morning either. What's the matter, the first one wasn't showing off enough skin, so you had to get another?"

Finally Elisha interjected. "Alright you two, knock if off. This is supposed to be a vacation. We're supposed to be having fun."

"I am having fun," Charlie told her. "And I'll be having even more fun later tonight when I go out."

I don't know what came over me all of a sudden; it was if I had no control over my emotions. I saw my hand come up, heard the crack as it slapped across his cheek, and could feel the tears start to well in my eyes. But I couldn't control any of it.

How could he just pin me to the floor and kiss me the way he had, and then just move on? Didn't I mean anything? I knew I flirted with Seth, but I hadn't set up any dates with him because I didn't want to hurt Charlie. I thought there was something there. I felt it the night before. I thought he had too.

"I hate you," I whispered fiercely spinning on my heels and walking out.

I know my Dad didn't want us to get separated, but right then, I just wanted to be alone. Maybe a kiss was just a kiss. Maybe I was sensing something that wasn't there, feeling something that wasn't real. I'd been fooling myself since he'd laid that kiss on my neck in the airport. The tingle that had swept my whole body. It wasn't real, none of it was. Even that kiss was fake. A product of too much booze and crazy hormonal teenagers. It meant nothing. I meant nothing.

* * *

Blonde-brain- Thanks:giggles: Yes, Charlie is a jealous fiend. He doesn't like Seth moving in on Connie. :P

ShortAttentionSpaz- I'm glad you're finding the story to be understandable enough and that you like it. :)

NikChic- I'm glad you like Charlie's jealousy. Hee, he really does adore her, even if she doesn't realize it. :pats them: Glad you like the story:)

Punkteacher- Aww, yay, I'm so glad that you liked it. :) Hee hee, Charlie is a silly head and argues with himself. Thanks again!

Tiff- Hee, thanks very much for the review! I'm glad you like the chemistry. We all know it's there! ;)

Hockey-girl90- Thanks:)

Banksiesbabe99- Hee! Yay:giggles: Yeah, my computer screws up all the time too. And Charlie and Connie totally are meant to be. She doesn't hate him, she's just lying. Um. Yes. :nods: I'm so gonna fix that now that it's my turn. XD Hehe, he definitely played her at her own game, that's for sure. XP Lol. Hahaha! We made you a Charlie/Connie shipper! Yesss:does a dance: I love it. Lol. I'm so glad you don't hate me/us. Lol. I'd be sad. We were just doing you a favor, making you see the truth. :)

antiIRONY- Hee, thank you. Meme and I do our best to keep Charlie/Connie fics coming. Heh. I'm very glad to hear that you're enjoying the story, and thanks so much for the reviews. :)

Sarah- Thank you:)


	8. Chapter 8

Whoa, could it be that I have nothing to say…? o.O

* * *

-Charlie's POV-

_I hate you._

I feel myself wince as the words punch out. Suddenly the once painful, burning sensation on my cheek dulls in comparison. She said she _hates_ me, and there wasn't even a hint of teasing in her voice. Not a single hint.

That look in her eyes…betrayal, anger, jealousy? I don't get it. I mean, come on, she doesn't like me. Yes, sure, I may secretly worship the ground she walks on and all that jazz, but she doesn't have any interest in _me_. Heck, she even pushed me away when we were _drunk_.

Yes, I know the swimsuit comment was below the belt, but that wasn't even what made her mad. She got mad about _Krista_. Why the heck would she care about Krista? Afterall, she has Mr. Perfect Hair Perfect Skin Perfect Hawaiian Surfer Boy the Sleaze. Why would she care what I do or who I hang out with? No doubt _he_ will be showing her all the "beautiful sites" of Hawaii tonight, so even if I didn't say that, she would've never known the difference. Why care if I'm there when she can swoon over his _Hawaiian_ come-ons? Ooh, you speak _Hawaiian_! Take me now! She's a smart girl. Surely she knows he does this to every gorgeous tourist that shows up. Seriously. He's got "date rape tourist trap" written all over him. In big, bold letters. Underlined. Italicized. All caps, too.

I'm still not jealous. I just can't believe Connie would fall for that, and then _freak out_ about Krista. I mean, seriously, I don't even _actually_ have anything planned with her. Sure, I was flirting shamelessly with her, and I probably could plan something with her tonight pretty easily as she seems to like me well enough, but still. I would likely end up stressing myself into a frenzy wondering if Connie was off Surfer Boy. Not that I would be jealous.

Okay, fine, so fibbing and telling Connie I had plans with Krista tonight when I actually don't may not have been the _smartest_ and most _bright_ move, but it was the first thing that came to mind! I can't help it! I am a naturally jealous and spiteful person, and seeing her flirt with Surfer Boy is _really ticking me off_. She _knows_ it's ticking me off!

But she just looked so…hurt…and angry. I don't even know what it is. I don't think she's ever looked at me like that before, and I just can't figure it out. Sure, I was kind of being a jerk about it, but why it even bothered her is just beyond me right now.

I look over to where Elisha was standing and notice that some random stranger has taken her place. She probably went after Connie when she ran out.

I wince again as I remember her exit and newfound hatred for me. Gently rubbing my cheek, I turn back around to see Krista looking at me with concern and eyeing my hand-covered cheek.

"You alright?" she asks.

I make a face and rub my cheek a little more. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Was that your girlfriend?" she asks.

I shake my head. I wish, but fate is far too cruel for that. She would just as soon poison me right now. "No."

She looks me up and down with pursed lips. "Alright. What about these?" she asks, holding up the two orders of ice cream.

I frown and look at them. "I guess I should go ahead and pay for them," I say, pulling out my wallet and placing a ten-dollar bill on the counter.

"You planning on eating them both?" she asks.

I shake my head. "Nah. I'll probably have to toss them because I doubt I'll be able to catch Cons and Elisha anyway."

"Wanna split them? I just got off for the day," she asks with a little grin, tilting her head and raising her eyebrow.

I look up at her with a shrug, all desire to flirt with her suddenly starting to flee. "Sure."

"It's on me," she says with a wink, pushing the ten dollars back at me.

Oh, well, if she _insists_, then I'm not going to throw away ten dollars for nothing. "Alright."

She takes off her apron and walks around to sit next to me at the counter, handing Connie's ice cream cone to me. I make a slight face. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. So what happened, babe? You seem kind of bummed all of a sudden," she says, flicking her hair over her shoulder.

I shrug a little. "Well, my best friend just slapped me across my face and told me she hates me. Kind of put a damper on the moment."

"Bummer," she says, looking at me. "Well, there's a bonfire party going on tonight. Wanna join me? Maybe it'll get your mind off of Little Miss Drama Queen," she says with a wink.

I twist my mouth a little. Who knows, maybe it will be fun. Besides, if I go back to the hotel, I will be questioned as to where Connie is (if anyone's around), and there's a very strong chance I will end up wondering where Connie is and what she's doing, driving myself crazy until I ultimately claw my eyes out.

Which would be kind of bad.

"Umm, sure," I say with a shrug. "I suppose it couldn't hurt."

She grins. "Awesome."

And a party, it most definitely is.

By the time we got here, people were already everywhere. The sun has barely set, and there's a huge bonfire surrounded by a scantily clad mix of Hawaiians and tourists. No telling how long it's been going on, but based on the loud, drunken laughter, it's been long enough for the alcohol to take full effect.

Krista seizes me hand and practically drags me over to the punch table. "Want some?" she asks.

"Sure, I'll have a cup," I say as she hands me the (likely spiked) cup of punch. I rotate the cup, watching the red substance swirl before I take a slightly cautious drink, fully remembering last night's alcohol-induced misadventures. I don't want to take any chances, so I will keep my punch intake to a minimum.

She takes one for herself and takes a drink. "Come on, gorgeous. Let's mingle."

I eventually loosen up a little, making an intense effort to push Connie and her words to the back of my mind. As long as I don't think about the fact that Connie and Seth are probably off touring…

Okay, new thought.

My, that is an interesting interpretation of dancing. Or…

Okay, new thought.

…..What's that over there…?

Err, never mind. I definitely don't want to know. I'm bad at this game.

When I focus again, I see Krista about two inches from my faces, smiling drunkenly. "Hi," she say, bursting into giggles.

I blink, my eyes slightly crossing as I try to focus on her. "Hey."

"Let's dance," she says, grabbing my hand and pulling me over to the others. The heat of the bonfire coupled with summer air made me wonder what was being smoked when the decision to have a BONFIRE in the summer was made. I'm burning up, and I'm in shorts and a wife beater. Though the mass of swimsuits around me makes me feel kind of overdressed.

And of course, the word 'dance' is pretty loosely defined. Especially when dealing with a whole bunch of drunk people.

Suddenly my gaze is caught by a small, separated group off to the side. Most of them are downing drinks like there's no tomorrow. Then I see what looks like…wait…Connie? What? And Seth?

Before my mind has a chance to come up with a snarky internal monologue about it, I realize exactly what it is that I see.

And it kind of gave me that occasional protective, slightly homicidal maniac feeling that I get sometimes.

I break away from the crowd, blocking out the clashing sounds around me as I walk up to the group, my lips pursed tightly with determination.

Connie was in the middle of the group with Seth drunkenly looking her up and down much in the same way that a…well…drunk guy openly and lustily ogles a gorgeous teenage girl in a very revealing bikini and shorts.

And I'm too angry to even comment that I of course didn't notice this bikini/shorts business at all.

The second he lays his hand on her and I see the slight flash of fear in her eyes, I walk over and shove him back, just enough to get him away from Connie. He stumbles back, unable to steady himself due to the alcohol in his system. When he lands on the ground with a dull thud, then rest of the group focuses their attention on me.

"Charlie?" Connie says, whipping her attention to me with a mix of what seems to be confusion, surprise, and hints of relief.

Noticing how vastly outnumbered I am, I place a hand on Connie's back and attempt to lead her out of the group, ignoring the jolting spark that tremored from my hand up my arm. Five drunk guys against me and Connie…not good odds, as far as we go.

I feel a tight grip on my arm as something jerks me back around, connecting a fist with my face. I stumble back a little, narrowing avoiding knocking into Connie.

My hand immediately flies to my face, covering the cheekbone that will soon be a lovely blackish purple color, I'm sure.

I feel the acute desire to smash Seth's face in rise in my stomach again. The drunken flush of his skin even contributes to the 'seeing red' factor.

"Charlie."

I turn to look at Connie and remember my original mission. Bashing Seth's face in will just have to wait.

We pass Krista on the way out, but Connie and I are set in our path, and she's too drunk to realize I'm leaving anyway.

The entire walk back to the hotel is in silence. I have no idea what she's thinking or feeling, and it's difficult to judge her silences sometimes. I don't know if she's mad at me…but the relieved look when I got her out of there wasn't mistaken.

I drop her off at her door, watching her go in and standing for a moment. I eventually walk into my side of the suite and walk across the room to the couch, collapsing into the cushions.

Alex walks out of the bathroom and Taylor glances up from his place on the bed. I swear, do they _ever_ leave this room? Seriously. I mean, sure, it's late, but shouldn't they be off doing fun Hawaiian things?

"Hey man, what happened to your face?" Taylor asks.

"Yeah, your cheek and the skin around your eye are kinda turning funny colors," Alex says as he plops down on his bed.

I look up at them for a second before shaking my head and rolling onto my back to look at the ceiling. Quickly losing interest, they stand up and walk to the door. "We're heading out for awhile. Wanna come?"

"Nah," I reply. "I think I've had enough 'out' time for today."

"Suit yourself," Alex says as they walk out, closing the door behind themselves.

I study the ceiling for awhile, wondering what Connie is thinking. Whether she's upset. Whether or not she saw Krista. How crazy it is that I even happened to see her out of all those people and all that commotion.

Suddenly the door connecting the rooms of our suite creaks open. When I glance over, I see Connie peek and see me. She walks the rest of the way in and closes the door behind herself.

Without a word, she sits on the end of Alex's bed. She sits there hesitantly for a minute before grabbing the remote and turning on the TV, starting to watch it.

And despite the glow from the TV, I watch her.

* * *

antiIRONY- I know right, hehe. We thrive on such things. Glad to see you're enjoying the story. ;)

Hockey-girl90- Thanks:pats Charlie: Yes, he was just jealous and he got himself in trouble. Heh.

Tiff- Hee, they have just gotten themselves into quite the bind, now haven't they? Poor them. :pets them: 'Tis a mystery:)

Me (You!) (Hehe…) – Lol, thanks. Seth is bad! Bad! XD :giggles: I'm very glad you were amused and enjoyed the chapter.

SweetNJuicyX0- Hehehe, they are both very jealous people. :P Thanks a ton. ;)

Duckys- You will have to see:) Hee, I'm glad you are enjoying the story.

Blonde-brain- Hee hee, they are jealous little silly-heads. :)

Sarah- Glad you liked it:) The guy's name is actually Seth, but Charlie just said a random name, hehe. Glad you liked it!

Banksiesbabe99- Hee hee hee, yep, he definitely got her jealous, that's for sure. XD Thanks as always, love:)

Agel15- I'm so very glad that you are enjoying it. :) Meme and I try to keep the C/C stories circulating the fandom, hehe. Poor Charlie got slapped, and poor Connie is very angry, heh.

Punkteacher- :giggles: I very much agree. Charlie is quite the flirt. XD

Immortalgod- Glad you like it:)


	9. Chapter 9

Connie's POV-

I've never been good at saying I'm sorry. Anyone who's known me for more then two days can tell you that. But I know right from wrong. I knew what I'd said to Charlie earlier that day wasn't right, and I owed him an apology. After what he'd done for me, even after what I'd said, he deserved at least that much.

Normally if someone swooped in on me like that, treating me like some fair maiden in need of a rescue, I would have flipped out and kicked them hard in the shin. I, however, had never been as terrified or desperate to be saved as I was that night at the bonfire.

"Charlie?" I turned my head from the television and cast my glance over to him. His dark blue gaze on the screen as if he'd never seen anything more interesting than that episode of 'Full House.'

"Hrm?" Charlie didn't make a move to turn his attention from the set to me.

I'm sorry. The words were right there on the tip of my tongue. Waiting to be spit out and set free. For some reason my lips just wouldn't let then pass. Holding the one thing I wanted to say more than anything - on the one time I wanted to say it - hostage from the one person that I wanted to hear it.

I sighed, latching myself around his waist. "Thank you." That would have to do.

Charlie just chuckled and rested his chin on the top of my head. "You're forgiven."

I laughed and poked him jokingly in the rib. "I didn't apologize to you."

"Of course you did. You said, 'Charlie, I'm sorry I hit you.' I heard it clear as day."

"You must be mistaken, dear Charles." I shook my head. "I said no such thing."

"Nope, I'm not. And you also said," he teased with a smirk, "something like 'I don't really hate you. In fact, I love you very much, and I hope in the future, you let me bare your children.' I heard it all."

"I said all that, and I don't even remember it, huh?"

"Your memory's slipping; too much time in the sun." He chuckled with his usual mischievous smile.

I coughed nervously and looked at him. Where did all that come from, and how did he know? It might have been true, but I certainly hadn't mentioned it. Had I let on without knowing? I decided right then, if I had let it slip and the secret was really out, I might as well go for broke.

I unraveled myself from around my friend's waist and looked into his knee-weakening eyes. My heart gave a little flip-flop as I leaned in and brushed my mouth across his. The hot, dry island weather had left his lips slightly chapped and cracking. They tasted salty like the ocean breeze, and I wondered if he'd gone for a swim earlier, picturing his light brown hair damp, droplets of water running down his chest. My mind reeled as my moist, strawberry balm coated lips danced against his.

He kissed me back at first, and for a second I felt my heart pound a little faster. Then he stopped, and the kiss become awkward and one sided. I felt stupid the instant I realized he had ceased kissing back. That had obviously been a wrong move.

"Touch me, Charlie," I'd whispered, taking his hand and resting it on my chest. And that had been the second he seemed to change his mind, turning his face, breaking our kiss.

"Cons…" Charlie placed his hands on my shoulders and pushed me gently from him. "I know you're grateful I saved you from Seth and company, but you don't have to do this to repay me. Don't go all damsel in distress on me."

I raised my eyebrows at him and frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"This whole situation, that kiss. I know in the old movies, when the hero saves the beautiful victim, she falls head over heels from him and he whisks her away on him noble steed. But this isn't a story; I'm not a knight in shining armor or something."

"Oh." I bit my lip hard. "Sorry."

Finally I managed those words, at the point I was no longer regretful. His rejection was too much of a slap in the face to feel anything else. It was like all the air in the room had been sucked out and threatened to suffocate me. How foolish could I be? I thought he liked me. I thought he wanted me, to the point of convincing myself the girl at the ice cream shop was just a ploy to get me to notice him. As if I hadn't already. And then I threw myself at him, and he turned me down cold. Boy, had I read the signs so wrongly.

Without another word, I got up from the couch, grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, and went into my room, once more locking the door behind me. So much for fairy tales or stories in which the male lead falls in love with the simple girl next door. They realize they're meant for each other and live happily ever after.

As I fell on my bed, I pulled my sketchbook out from under my pillow and opened it. Again I was met with Charlie's face, though this one frozen in time and space. I traced line of the drawing's mouth with my thumb, remembering how good those lips had felt for that split second.

A lump formed in my throat as a straggled whimper escaped the confines of my body. Before I knew it, tears were running down my face and pooling on the pad below, smearing my work, in a dark gray swirl. This only seemed to make me cry harder; it was a vicious cycle that I couldn't stop.

I hated to cry, it made me feel weak. Even more so, I hated girls that cried over boys. No guy was worth the heartache, I'd been so sure of that. So I sat there on the bed, fighting myself and trying to control my emotions to no avail. Finally I just gave up, clutching the sketch to my chest as I buried my face in my pillow, laying there sobbing pathetically until sleep came to claim me.

Duckys- You'll just have to see:P

AntiIRONY- I've never actually been punched in the face before, but I have no intention of testing this theory. XD I'll just assume it hurts really bad and leave it at that. Heh.

Me!- Thanks. :) Hehehe, me loves Charlie too. ;)

Hockey-girl90- :gushes for Charlie/Connie:…Heh. Thanks very much. :)

Sarah- :blushes: Oh, I knew that…I was…uhh…testing you! On…I don't know what. :hides face: Hehe. I'm going to pretend I'm not stupid now. :) I'm glad you thought it was funny! XD :pats them: Hehehe, it's great to know things they don't. XP Thanks, as always!

Tiff- They are. :pets them: I adore them so. I'm so glad to hear you're enjoying it!

Agel15- :giggles: Thanks. I'm glad you like Charlie's "inner monologues" and that my attempts to be humorous aren't completely lost. XD Thanks for your review. :)

Blonde-brain- I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far:)

Punkteacher- Thanks. :) Hee, I'm glad you like the inner monologues of Charlie. XD It's nice to know that my attempts at humor aren't completely failed and lost on the masses, hehe. :giggles: Thanks. "Snarky" is an awesome word.

SweetNJuicyX0- Thanks very much. :)


	10. Chapter 10

Errr, yipes. This took a loooong time to post, and it's not even long at all. I'm so sorry, guys. Geh. I couldn't get anything to come out the way I wanted to, and I just lacked much-needed inspiration. Not my best at all. Forgive me. I hope you guys still manage to enjoy it. :blows kisses:

* * *

-Charlie's POV-

I watch her disappear behind the door, but I'm unable to get her face out of my mind. Unable to forget the knots twisting in my stomach. The electricity, the…the _rightness_.

But I know she didn't mean it. I know Connie, and I am the last person she would fall for...I mean, she was nearly taken advantage of, I saved her from the situation, and so…she must not have been thinking straight. It was misplaced and confused emotion. Another heat-of-the-moment thing, and I couldn't take advantage of her in her weakened state…she could have been raped by that guy. She was fragile, and it would have been _wrong_.

…No matter how incredibly amazing and _right_ it felt. She would just end up hating me…again. I just regained her forgiveness, and that's not something I'm willing to lose for the second time in a twenty-four hour timeframe. As soon as she realized what she was doing, she would have pushed me away and ran. I feel a twinge of guilt (or something) at stopping her since she looked so flustered…but it was probably just the embarrassment of realizing she was kissing _me_, someone who she likely sees as a brother when our history is considered. She wouldn't even look me in the eye.

I chew on my lip, still staring at the door she disappeared through. Connie's startled, flushed, and humiliated face still burns in my mind, and I know better than to try and talk to her. It would only make it worse, and by her speedy exit, I can gather that she doesn't want my company at the moment.

It's not until the door swings open and Alex walks in with Taylor that I snap out of my trance. I can't help but think how much less embarrassing it is for them to walk in on me zoning, as opposed to them walking in on me and Connie making out on the couch. Guess that's kind of positive…though I would have rather faced the latter embarrassment, if only it could have been under different circumstances…You know, non-drunken and non-trauma-induced-gratification ones.

But I just simply _cannot_ get that kiss out of my mind. Seriously. It just cannot be a healthy thing. I could have just lost myself right there, but…

I'm talking in circles, and it's not making it any easier.

I sigh and fall face down on the couch, covering my face and head with my arms and ignoring Taylor's plea to change the channel…though he changes it anyway when I don't respond.

Closing my eyes, I remember the look in her eyes right before she kissed me…that sudden and foreign look of desire. The feeling of her lips on mine…I can still taste the hint of strawberry balm on my lips. Her soft whispered plea for me to touch her…

A shiver creeps down my spine and I shake my head. Bad things to be thinking about. Not helping at all.

"You alright?" I hear Taylor ask. I don't need to look to know that he's got an eyebrow quirked at me.

"Yeah," I say, my voice muffled as I push the thoughts from my mind. The more I think about it, the more likely I am to randomly pounce on her after she's already realized that she was just feeling vulnerable, thus freaking her out and messing everything up again.

"You sure?" he asks again.

I need to clear my head.

"Yeah," I say, standing up. "I'm just gonna take a walk…"

"It's eleven o'clock," Alex says, glancing at the red numbers illuminating from the digital clock sitting on the bedside table.

"I won't go far," I say, walking over to and out the door before any more protests are voiced. It obviously doesn't bother them _too_ much considering they don't follow me or demand that I stay.

Once I'm back out in the slightly cool Hawaiian night, I take in a deep breath, exhaling slowly. I focus on placing one foot in front of the other. The subtle sounds of the breeze. The faint crash of the ocean.

It's kind of calming, just walking out here. I don't even have to worry about being mugged and murdered, which is definitely a plus.

By the end of my walk, I'm still not much closer to getting Connie out of my mind. It's like all the mental restraint I've been exercising all these years is suddenly rendered useless now that she has actually soberly kissed me, even if it was for the wrong reasons. All the blocks and walls that used to be there are crumbling, and it's weirding me out.

I'm not sure what I'm going to do…Ignore it and pretend it didn't happen? That may not work this time, as we were both very much sober. Bring it up? "Oh yeah, Connie, remember how last night you kissed me because Seth and his posse had you in their clutches, and you were simply grateful that I saved you? I've actually been pining for you for awhile, so that kind of screwed over my head. Thanks for that." Nah, that's probably not a good idea either.

When I walk back into the room, the lights are out and both Taylor and Alex are sleeping, slightly to my surprise. Must have been a thrilling and exciting day for them. I'm feeling drained myself, though it's more of a mental exhaustion, as opposed to a physical one. I simply was not cut out for intense and relentless thought. I avoid thinking on a regular basis for a reason.

Crawling onto the couch, I wrap the blanket around myself and close my eyes. I don't even have the will to unfold the couch into a bed.

After sending one last lingering glance at the door connecting to Connie and Elisha's room, I close my eyes and eventually drift to sleep.

* * *

Duckys- Teenagers are just silly gooses. Hehe. Or geese, rather, but that doesn't sound as cute. Meh. Nevermind. I killed it, lol. Hehehe, I doubt we're all really that oblivious, but it makes for a more interesting story, yes. :P

Hockey-girl90- Hehe, yes, the sympathy just switches back and forth. :) Thanks!

antiIRONY- Lol, still sounds painful. Eee, my precious Josh:) I want to see that movie just because he's in it, hehe. Meh, who cares if he's supposed to be gay in it. He's still pretty. :P

Punkteacher- Glad you liked it. :)

Banksiesbabe99- Hehehe, it's all good, Sarah. XD Silly. YAY FOR CHARLIE AND CONNIE. :D Charlie is a silly goof and just messed it up. :shakes head: What are we gonna do with that boy? Hee, anyway, thanks for the review, as always. ;)

SweetNJuicyX0- Hee, thanks! Glad you liked it. :)

Tiff- I think he would make a great knight in shining armor too. ;) :giggles: They are just silly. :P Maybe one day they'll figure it out. ;D Thanks for the review!

Blonde-brain- Yes, Connie's having a rough time. :pats her: Glad you liked it!

Agel15- I know right. Charlie, the silly goose. :shakes head at him:P :pats them both: Aww, don't die! XD We won't leave you like that forever. :)


	11. Chapter 11

-Connie's POV-

'Today is a new day and with a new day comes a new outlook.' I tell myself, pulling a pair of khaki shorts over and old one piece bathing suit I traded Elisha for about an hour ago. I take a look in the mirror and smile. With no one to impress, I can actually dress comfortably today. Hallelujah.

I grab my pad and chalks, stick a pencil behind my ear, and open the door to walk directly into Charlie's chest as he's about to knock.

"Ugh," I grunt, falling backward and landing on my butt. "Thanks, Spazway."

"Whoa, sorry, Cons." A hand is thrust into my face and accidentally bonks me in the nose. "Lemme help you up."

"No, no. I'm fine thanks. Step back, before you maim me any further."

I amble to my feet and Charlie just gives me this look. I can't tell exactly what it is, which is weird for me, because I've always been able to read his expressions. I don't really know if I like not being able to tell what he's thinking,

"So, I was thinking maybe today, we could go get some free surfing lessons. You know the hotels offering them; it might be kinda fun," Charlie says, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his board shorts.

Twenty -four hours ago, I would've said yes. Twenty four hours ago, I wanted nothing more then to spend every waking minute with him. It's amazing the difference a day makes. Or rather the difference being rejected and utterly humiliated by the one person you thought would never do that to you, makes.

I shake my head and bend down to pick up my sketches and chalk. "No thanks, I think I'd rather just hit the beach and draw some."

"Well um," he shuffled his feet nervously, "you have no choice. Everyone else already left."

I sigh inwardly and frown. Great. Why is it that when all I want to do is spend a nice relaxing day clearing my head of all things Charlie Conway, everyone else takes off without me? It's punishment for something I did I guess. Cosmic fate, and man, does karma suck.

"Fine, I'll just lay in the sand and you can do your surfing thing, okay? And try not to kill yourself."

Charlie just nods and turns around, going back into the living room to get his stuff. So kind of my family to ask me if I wanted to go with them. Better to just leave me here with no choice but to spend time with him. Evil people.

We walk down to the beach in silence, and I drop my bag into the powdery soft sand. The sun's bright, and I already feel my shoulders starting to crisp - of course, I forgot my sun block. With a sigh, I pick my stuff back up again, my gaze scanning for the closest bit of shade. I shield my eyes with my hand, spotting a palm tree not too fair away, just at the fence separating the sand from the parking lot.

After falling onto my butt on the ground, I dig my purple painted toes into the soft sand and lean back on hands. I gaze up into the palm tree for a second before righting myself and resting my sketch pad on my lap. My pencil takes off as soon as it touches the paper, dancing across the page leaving a soft gray swirl, connecting the paper to my mind.

From the corner of my eye, I can see Charlie standing on surf board on the sand. A tall, dark, lean God of man is crouched beside him barking orders that I can't hear, but the corners of his mouth are curving upward as he does it. It's kind of sexy. Maybe I do want to learn to surf…

No, no, I don't. No more men. They just confuse you and mess up everything. Even vacations that are suppose to be fun and bring you closer together, maybe even help you fall in love. Grrrr, such infuriating creatures they are. Enraging even, but oh so attractive.

I watch as the instructor growing increasingly annoyed with Charlie, throws up his hands, and shakes his head. He gestures angrily to the water, and my "friend" nods, gathers up his board, and heads out into ocean. He's going to break a bone, I can just feel it. I know hockey is about skating, and skating is about balance, but that's different. The ice doesn't move, so you're in control. Here with this, all the power lies in the waves, and they don't look too happy.

Charlie paddles into the surf, and I chew my bottom lip nervously. It's just something I do without thinking, really. A nervous habit…that and shaking my foot, which I'm also doing, though with it buried in the sand, there's no rewarding tapping noise. I sit up straighter, my stare locked onto the inexperienced surfer. I hope he doesn't hurt himself.

So much for spending the day trying to erase him from my mind. I'll have to spend the afternoon making sure he doesn't drown now. I'm fairly certain Casey wanted him back alive and not in pieces. I can see it now, 'Well, this box is his right foot, and I think that one is his left arm…' That wouldn't be pretty.

I turn my head to avoid a seagull attack then quickly look back only to have lost sight of Charlie. My sharp eyes scan the water's surface skillfully before spotting him. Standing upright on his board, arms raised in triumph. I have to stifle a giggle when he loses his balance and tips over. That's my Charlie. No, not my Charlie. I think we established that last night.

I watch as he emerges from the water coughing up seawater, but resist running to the shoreline. He's moving, he's breathing, he's fine. Serves him right to get a mouth full of water for trying to be a show off. And over by the snack bar, I see why. That girl from the ice cream shop is here. He probably just wanted to impress her. He's got a lot of nerve asking me to come with him just to rub my nose in the fact she's cool and my summer fling is a sex offender. Such a jerk.

As Krista runs down to check on him, I gather up my stuff and storm past them. I make extra certain to kick up a big cloud of sand on the way. I hope it covers them. The jerks. 'Flaunt, flaunt, flaunt all you want. I'm not going to stay here and watch.' I repeat to myself as I head up the beach. When I get just far enough away that I know I can't be seen, my knees buckle, and I crumble into the sand in tears.

* * *

antiIRONY- Thanks so much! I'm glad you liked it. :) The drama and angst is what makes the teenager's life interesting, heh. 

Duckys- I know right. His brain hurts, hehe. :pats him: Thanks for the review!

Blonde-brain- Yes, they are poor darling confused children. :nods: Glad you liked the chapter!

Punkteacher- Aww, thanks so much! I'm so glad you guys couldn't tell. I've just been having slight writer's block, so I'm thrilled that you guys can't really tell. Heh. Thanks! I'm glad you like the line. :P Though I just noticed a typo that I missed when I checked it over…whoops…I have good grammar, honest. O.O

ShortAtntionSpaz- Hee, I know right. But that would just rain on our story's parade if they actually COMMUNICATED. :P Hee, I'm very glad you're enjoying the story!

Hockey-girl90- Thanks! I'm glad you liked it, and thanks for the review. :D


	12. Chapter 12

WHOA! Aren't you impressed with my major quick update? ;) Usually Meme's the quick updater, but this time, I had it done PROMTLY. And I even like how it came out. And it's a reasonable length. What a concept. :)

* * *

-Charlie's POV-

I cough up a mouthful of seawater, trying to pretend I didn't just make myself look really stupid. That did _not_ go as planned.

Once I'm back to the shore, I shake my head to get the excess water from my hair much like a dog does to his fur. I collapse onto the sand, knees and hands first. I get myself into a seated position facing the water and pull my board next to me.

I hear footsteps approaching on the sand. It's probably Connie coming to tell me I was stupid or make a crack about my lack of balance/coordination…which are kind of important in surfing. Heh. Good times.

I grin and prepare a mental retort, but when I turn around, I see a blur fling itself at me, nearly knocking me over. I blink, noticing the body is quite a bit taller than Connie is. Once I'm able to completely focus, I realize it's Krista from the ice cream parlor. After scanning the beach, I realize Connie's nowhere to be seen. She's no longer perched at her spot with a sketch pad in hand. The grin slowly fades from my face.

"Charlie, are you okay? Is anything broken?" Krista asks, resting her hand on my shoulder.

I keep my eyes trained where Connie had been. After a few seconds I blink my eyes a few times and scan the beach again, double-checking for Connie. She's got to be there.

Part of me twinges that she didn't come see if I was okay. Not that she's required to or anything, but I figured she'd at least come to banter a bit. She never passes up an opportunity to tease me.

Well, excluding this time, obviously.

Suddenly sand clouds up around us, sticking to my still-wet skin. I turn to see and complain to the offender, but Krista pulls my attention back to her by shaking my shoulder, brushing sand off herself and snarling a little at the person I figure just kicked sand in our faces. She then goes back to normal. "I asked if you were okay," she repeats.

I shrug her hand off a little, making a face at the sand all over me. "Yeah, I'm fine," I say, standing up and continuing to look for Connie.

Part of me was suddenly feeling a wash of slight panic when I still couldn't find her. What if some creepy old guy had snatched her in the minute or so I was under water and getting back to shore? What if that one creep from yesterday, that _Seth_ guy or whatever, had snatched her in the minute or so I was under water and getting back to shore? What if **ALIENS** had taken her!

Okay, I'm serious again. Very serious. Seriously panicked. Seriously paranoid. Seriously perturbed.

Seriously in need of any sign that Connie's fine and not in any sort of danger or something like that. It's seriously freaking me out. Seriously. As in a serious fashion.

I shake my head again. I'm blowing this out of proportion. She could be in the bathroom for all I know, and would be kind of weirded out if I tackled her as she walked out or something like that. I need to caaaaalm down. Calm. Deep breath. Connie's fine. She wasn't abducted by an old guy, sleazy sex offender, or extra-terrestrial.

I notice Krista's still standing there and has a weird expression on her face as she stares at me.

"What?" I ask.

She blinks. "You just had this weird spaced out look on your face. You alright?"

"Uh, yeah, just thinking. I should get going," I say, giving a slight wave before darting away.

I feel slightly bad for suddenly brushing her off so much when it _was_ me who initiated the flirting in the first place, but I just can't deal with that right now. I can't help but have this weird guilty feeling when I'm talking to Krista because I keep remembering Connie and how she freaked out. I mean, it's not like Connie's my girlfriend or anything. Far from it, so it seems, but I still feel weird about it. Darn weird feeling.

Gah, _where is Connie_? For crying out loud, this is getting aggravating.

Calm. Deep breath. Check food stands. Maybe she wanted a snack or drink. It's pretty hot out here, after all.

…Alas no. Food stands hold no sign of Connie.

And I'm _not_ checking bathrooms. I'd get pelted with coconuts. And, well…just no.

Letting out a sigh, I turn back and see my instructor walking over towards me with a very annoyed expression on his face.

"Do you make a sport of doing the exact opposite of everything I tell you to do?" he asks.

Heh, he sounds a lot like some of my teachers and coaches.

I shake my head. "Of course not. It just naturally happens like that. Kind of like a reflex. I can't help it."

He mumbles something about taking a lunch break before walking off, shaking his head and continuing to mutter incoherent things under his breath. Probably best that I can't really hear what he's saying. Doesn't really matter that I'm guessing it's only about 10:30 in the morning, either. He can just go enjoy his lunch break. I have things to do anyway.

Now…back to the dilemma at hand. If I were a Connie, where would I go…

Eh, I will wander. Wandering is good…maybe I'll find her. Then when she's sitting in a nice, cool, air-conditioned food place, she'll be reminded just how incredibly paranoid I am.

As I walk along the beach, I continue to scan for any sign of Connie.

When I eventually find her, she's curled tightly in a ball against a tree facing away from me. I feel a wave of relief. She's safe.

Now the second layer of concern.

"Cons? You alright?" I ask, kneeling down beside her and resting my hand on her shoulder.

She jumps at my touch and whips around to face me, revealing a slightly dried tear-streaked face with the remnants of puffy red eyes.

"Oh man, Cons, were you crying? Are you okay? What happened?" I ask, slightly stumbling over the words as panic starts to rise again.

She instantly turns her face away with a sniffle, shaking her head fervently. "No, no, I'm fine. Nothing happened," she says shakily.

"You don't cry over 'nothing,'" I say disbelievingly. "Come on, tell me. Was it that guy? Did he do anything? Because I he did, I'll-"

"No," she cuts in. "No, it wasn't Seth," she says, and before I have the chance to ask who it was then, she beats me to it. "It wasn't _anyone_. Nothing's wrong."

I look at her skeptically. "Yeah right. Like I said, you don't cry if nothing's wrong. You can tell me."

"I said nothing's wrong, Charlie. You don't have to get all macho protective or anything. I. Am. Fine," she says with an edge to her voice.

"Connie, if something happened-"

"Charlie, **stop it**. Nothing like that happened, so just **stop **and _leave me alone_. Don't you have Little Miss Baywatch Barbie to attend to? I'm sure she misses you, and I'd hate to keep you any longer. You've fulfilled your duty and can carry on with a clear conscience, so you can just go now," she says sharply, her face scrunching a little as fresh tears gloss her eyes.

I furrow my eyebrows slightly at the tears, and she turns away again. "…Cons…?" I say softly.

"Just…just go, Charlie. Alright? Just go."

"Connie-"

"Are you especially deaf today? I said _go_," she snaps, choking slightly on the words.

I purse my lips. "I'm not going anywhere, Cons. I'm not leaving you alone like this. Especially not in Hawaii," I say, scooting next to her and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. She stiffens for a minute before sinking back against my chest and biting her bottom lip to, I assume, hold back more tears. I feel a slight spark when her bare back brushes against my skin, but I shake off the thought that threatens to accompany it.

She flips around and buries her face into my bare chest. I feel her shoulders jolt slightly every now and then, signifying that she is in fact crying, despite her attempts to mask it.

I desperately want to know what's wrong with her, but I decide against asking right now.

"I hate you so much sometimes," she says quietly after a few minutes, her voice cracking as she sniffles loudly and buries her face in my chest more.

I try to determine if or how I'm supposed to respond to that.

Mmm, I won't respond. Better not to rock the boat at the moment. Maybe I'll ask later.

I settle with rubbing her back and resting my chin on her head. Closing my eyes, I breathe in the scent of her hair and feel a slight smile curl onto my lips as she wraps her own arms around my neck to get more comfortable.

But it's not long before the closeness begins to fully creep into my consciousness. I'm suddenly aware of just how close she really is, and my face heats. I thank my lucky stars ten times over that she can't see.

I feel her gently twist the hair at the base of my neck in her fingers absently. I blush deeper and resist the urge to clear my throat. That would only draw attention to me, and right now, she's got her eyes closed. She's not crying anymore either. She looks almost calm. The tear streaks on her cheeks look out of place.

I can't help but notice how gorgeous she looks, even with those tear streaks on her cheeks and smudges of sand smeared across her face. The sand was from me, of course. I didn't bother to wipe it off with my towel earlier, but she doesn't seem to mind too much.

I shiver slightly as her hand brushes my neck and hope desperately that she doesn't notice.

"You cold?" she asks softly, her voice sounding slightly far away, like she's in a half dream-like state.

So much for not noticing.

"No, no, I'm good. Just got a…chill," I answer, just barely nodding my head so as to not disturb her.

"Mmhmm…"

I smile down at her and absently stroke her hair, rocking her gently. She softly hums a tune I don't know, and I feel the comfortable silence envelop us like a blanket. The comfortable silence that we've been lacking over the past few days.

Closing my eyes, I choose to simply accept and enjoy the moment while it lasts, because realistically, chances are I may not get another one quite like it.

* * *

Blonde-brain- :pats Connie: Yes, she's had it rough. Eebil girl trying to snag Charlie:kicks her: Thanks for the review!

Duckys- Me too. :( It's sad. :pats her and Charlie: Silly children. :shakes head at them: Anyway, thanks for the review:D


	13. Chapter 13

-Connie's POV-

Is this real? Tell me it is and not some great dream. Tell me we're sitting here, cuddled together on the sand until the sunset. I need that. I need to know it's real. It feels too amazing to been fantasy. Even in my imagination, nothing this sweet and tender ever happens.

"Are you ready to go back in?" Charlie asks, his face nestled comfortably in the crook of my neck and shoulder.

It is real. His voice confirms it. As does the shiver caused by his breath on my skin. God, this is magical. I could stay right here for the rest of my life. Well, if I had food and water of course. I wonder if Charlie would mind fishing, and I'll gather coconuts. We could make it work.

I shake my head. "No, I don't wanna move. You're comfy."

"Just gonna live out here, huh?" He chuckles and kisses the top of my head. "I think it might get a little chilly, and I'm already getting eaten alive by mosquitoes."

A pout forms on my lips, and I sigh because I know he's right. I just don't want to move. If I move, this is going to end, and I may never get this feeling back again. Where I'm warm on both the inside and the out side. Going inside is going to ruin it.

"I don't wanna move, Charlie."

"I got you covered," my cuddle partner replies before shifting onto his knees then standing with me in his arms.

I never realized he was this strong before. I feel like I don't weigh anything, which is very rare for me. His chest muscles are pulled tight as he holds me to him, making our way up the beach. I just hope he doesn't drop me, though in truth, I trust him completely. Even if he's slightly off balance as he kicks up sand on the way.

He sets me down the hall in from our room, and I dig out my key from my beach bag and let us in. It's past dark, and the suite is totally empty; there isn't a single light on as we go inside.

"Ouch!" Charlie bellows stubbing his toe on the desk as he reaches over to turn the lamp on.

I stifle a giggle as I set our stuff down and walk over to him. "Are you okay?" I rest my hand on his cheek.

He gives me a puzzled look, and I blush.

"Sorry," I say stepping back and taking my hand away, my arm falling to my side in the process.

"No, Cons, wait." Charlie stops me, reaching out for my hand, sending a tremor up my arm.

"Yeah?" I turn back, my gaze meeting his and my cheeks heating.

"Uh… um," his face flushes as he drops my hand quickly. "There's a note here from your step-sister. Elisha says your parents rented a yacht for the day, and the family decided to sleep out on the water tonight."

"Oh." I shrug. "Well looks like we have the place to ourselves tonight. I'm gonna go get into my Pjs and watch a movie on the couch…I mean your bed."

Alone in my room, I let out a long breath. The tensions was so thick in the common room, I could barely breathe. There has to be something about Hawaii. I've been able to keep my feelings from Charlie in check for over two years now. And suddenly we're here, and I can hardly think of anything but him. I can't get his touch from my mind, and I long for more. Maybe there's something about paradise.

I find Charlie sitting on the balcony, staring out at the beach. He has this far off dreamy look on his face, and I wonder what's out there on the horizon that's worthy of so much attention. Hating to be left out, I step out there to see what he's looking at. From my view, there's nothing but sand and water.

Without thinking I've walked over and sat myself comfortably in his lap. I slip an arm around his shoulder and snuggle close, resting my head against his chest. His heart's pounding like a drum. I can hear it beating against his flesh. That can't be normal.

"Are you okay, Conway?" I ask, trembling slightly as his palm brushes, my bare inner thigh.

"Yeah, I'm okay. You're just so close." Charlie's fingers rub against my leg as he twists the hem of shorts between them.

"Do you want me to move?"

He shakes his head, slipping his hand further up my thigh. With slight wavering voice he answers. "That's the last thing I want you do, Connie."

"Want do you want me to do, Charlie?" My eyes burrow into his; I can practically see his soul.

"You could…" his voice drops below a whisper, "make love with me."

I don't know what comes over me; there must be something in the air. Something more than just the smell of the sea and fresh orchids. Whatever it is, I find myself standing up and holding out my hand to Charlie. He slips his fingers through mine as I lead him inside.

Without words, we walk hand in hand into my room. I lock the door and look at him, chewing my cheek nervously. Strong arms encircle my waist and pull me toward a pair of waiting lips. The kisses grow dizzying and before I know it, we've shed our clothes and there's nothing between us but the heat of the Hawaiian night.

"Have you ever..?" Charlie asks breathily, lowering his lips to my throat.

I swallow and shake my head, scared of the possibility that he has. "Have you?"

"No," he replies, brushing his finger tips up my side.

"We'll learn together," I whisper, and he nods.

Later, as I lay wrapped in his arms, and a bed sheet, a tear rolls from the corner of my eye, down my cheek, over my chin and drops to Charlie's shoulder. I don't want to cry. I'm not sad, not at all. I've wanted this to happen for so long. And I can't think of any better place than paradise.

"Are you okay?" Charlie kisses my temple and pulls me closer.

I nod, burying my face in his shoulder.

"Then what's with the tears? Cons, do you regret what we just did? Because I didn't mean to pressure you, or get you to do anything you didn't want to do. I'd never do that to you, Connie."

"I know," I said sniffling. "It's not that, it just hurt is all. I'm sorry. I'll be okay, I promise."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I just need to get some sleep. I think I'm tired. I'll be better in the morning."

"Alright," Charlie nods and pulls my naked body against him. He kisses my lips gently before closing his eyes. "Night, Connie."

"Goodnight," I say softly, though with the soft rhythmic steadiness of his breath, I know he's already asleep.

My head spins as I drift to sleep my best friends nude flesh pressed to mine. What have I done?

* * *

Blonde-brain- Heh, thanks for the review! XD Yay for getting along!

Agel15- Thanks, hee hee. Everyone's gotta get jealous. :P I'm glad you likes the POVs. :) :giggles: Thanks again. Hee, and as said in your second review, Krista had to be blown off, but it was for a good cause. XD Glad you like it!

Duckys- Heh, they're goofy kids. ;D

Sarah- Hehe, it's all good, and I'm glad you're enjoying it!

SweetNJuicyX0- :giggles: Gotta love angst. Thanks.

Tiff- It's all good. Thanks:D I love Charlie too…hee…


	14. Chapter 14

Wow, this took awhile to get finished…I've been majorly busy with the summer wrapping up and all that jazz. :gives you a few more excuses just to be on the safe side: Now school's started, which bites hardcore, so yeah…errr…:tosses in another wayward excuse: I tried to make this a decent-sized chapter for you guys. I AM A FAILURE AT LIFE. :P And eeeee! Yay! We broke 100 reviews! Eeeee. :dances: Thanks so very, very much to all of our lovely readers and reviewers. You guys are truly fantastic. :)

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-Charlie's POV- 

I wake up to the faint smell of vanilla and the strong desire to never move again. I feel warm skin against my chest and slowly open my eyes. When I see Connie's tiny body curled against me, everything comes crashing back like a ton of bricks. An intensely confusing ton of bricks when she slowly opens her eyes and looks up at me. Everything else in my mind kind of leaks out my ears, and all I'm left with is how incredibly beautiful she looks.

The trance is soon snapped when familiar voices sound outside the door. Panic suddenly floods up and fills me from my core out to the tips of my fingers. I see the same panic flash across Connie's face as she quickly nudges me and whispers frantically "down, down, get on the floor!"

I roll onto the floor with a thump and scramble under the bed just as I see Elisha's shoes appear between the floor and bed-skirt. My heart's pounding a mile a minute, and I try not to think about how little space there is under the bed. All I can think about is that my clothes are somewhere in this room, and if Elisha finds them, we could be kind of screwed.

Well, that's not _all_ I can think of, but it's _definitely_ a grave concern.

"Connie, you awake?" I hear Elisha ask. The slight shifting of covers sounds over head, and I figure Connie's feigning sleep. I hold my breath and focus on Elisha's moving feet. They walk across the room and pause for a second. Something clatters on the dresser, and she finally walks into the bathroom.

I notice I've been clenching my fist, and my knuckles are turning white, so I force my self to loosen a little. A few moments later, the water starts running.

Almost instantly, Connie's feet land on the floor less than a foot from my face, and she drops down on all fours to face me.

"Get out here," she whispers, moving back so I can climb out. I see her send a nervous glance at the bathroom door then glance back at me and jump. "Wait, no, hold on a second, don't look!" she squeaks, grabbing a robe from her discarded clothes.

I blink a little as she puts it on and ties it around herself, running over to my clothes and practically hurling them at me. "Put those on!"

Blindly following orders, I quickly dress in my clothes from the day before. I see her chewing on her lip.

"Come on, let's get you out of here," she says, careful to keep her voice in a whisper. I start for the suite door, and she suddenly jumps at me, grabbing my arm and shouting "NO!"

The water in the bathroom stops.

"Connie?" the muffled voice of Elisha says. "You okay out there?"

Connie looks like a deer in headlights for a moment before snapping back together. "Um, yeah, I just, uh…just, uh, stubbed my toe." She swallows. "It hurt and took me by surprise," she lies.

"Okay. You should be more careful. And sorry I didn't say hi when I first got in. You were sleeping, and I didn't want to disturb you. I've only been back a few minutes."

"I kno-" Connie starts before stopping herself and clearing her throat. "I uh, it's okay. Don't worry about it."

"I'll be out in a sec, and I'll tell you about yacht. It was awesome," Elisha says.

"That's uh, cool. No rush!" she says.

The water starts up again, and she lets out a sigh, leaning against my arm. "That was close."

"Why can't I go through here, anyway?" I ask, blinking a little at her behavior.

"If Tay and Alex are in there, they'll see you coming from my room. They know we were alone here last night. You're dressed now, so go down, grab a bagel or something so it'll look like you were out getting breakfast, then come back up," she whispers, still sending an occasional glance at the bathroom. Then again, I am too. Ready to bolt.

I nod.

When the door closes behind me, I simply stand and look at it for a moment longer. I know what happened last night, but if I hadn't woken up naked next to Cons on her bed, I'm not sure I'd entirely believe it. I mean, she definitely gave no indication. Then again, we were _way_ too close to getting caught. I could almost feel the doom threatening to rear its ugly head.

Letting out a breath, I walk downstairs to where the continental breakfast is being served. No matter how much I try to push away them away, thoughts continually plague me. What was she thinking then? What is she thinking now? What would have happened if Elisha hadn't come in the room?

The nervous feeling at the thought of going back up there curbs my appetite, but I do as Connie told me and grab a bagel and some coffee. Makes me feel old…or at least sophisticated. Heh.

Slowly I make my way back up to the room. As I pass Connie's room, I wonder what she's doing at this precise moment. Is this confusing her as much as it is me? What did it mean? Are we still friends? More? Less? Something in between? I really want to know, but the thought of the conversation doesn't help the bagel go down. I just want to know. I want to be able to look at her and just know, but I don't know if I'll be able to this time. Did I screw this up?

I unlock the door and walk in to see Alex sitting on his bed. The shower's going, so I assume Tay is showering.

"Hey, where've you been?" he asks me.

"Breakfast," I say, holding up my bagel (minus two bites) and my cup of coffee.

He raises an eyebrow. "Now, I know I don't know you as well as most of this family, but I was under the impression the apocalypse couldn't get you out of bed before noon in the summer."

I shrug, glancing at the clock and notice it's 10:02. Which really _is_ weird.

"I dunno. Guess there's a first thing for everything?" I try, raising my eyebrows almost with question.

He looks at me for a second a shakes his head. "Oh well. I'm not even going to ask about the clothes," he says, referring to the slightly wrinkled clothes from yesterday that I'm wearing.

"Good plan," I say, collapsing onto the couch/my bed.

Later that day, I finally will myself to leave the room when we all head out to lunch. I do my best not to continually glance at Connie, as that looks suspicious. She's sent a look or two over, but the jittery feeling is building up. This entire trip has felt like one big awkward feeling after another.

We split off as usual – adults and Shawn go somewhere, and the rest of us divide and eat amongst ourselves.

Today Tay and Alex split off to eat on their own, and I go with Elisha and Connie. I don't know if I'm just a glutton for punishment or what, but I can't seem to avoid an uncomfortable situation for the life of me.

Connie's body language is mixed, and she seemed to be purposefully avoiding my eye. Conversation is practically nonexistent, and I think Elisha has caught on that she's encroaching upon a private, awkward, and unspoken conversation. It remains unspoken for the duration of lunch, though, and I'm not sure how I've survived up to this point. There are very few times in my life that I've had to force myself to eat, but this is one of them. Part of me wants to hold onto her and never let her go, and the other part wants to run away screaming, if only to longer avoid The Conversation a little bit longer. As the seconds tick by, The Conversation seems less and less like something I want to take part in. It like The Other (Kiss) Conversation on steroids. A fear of her regretting it bubbles up in my stomach, but I push down the sick feeling, resting my elbows on the table and chin in my palms in hope that it isn't noticeable.

"I…think I'll go find the boys," Elisha says after a moment, looking between Connie and me in a weird, curious way. I guess I'm not the only one smothered by whatever colorful form of tension is hanging around today.

I swallow the knot in my throat and look at Connie to see if she looks remotely as uncomfortable as I feel as Elisha excuses herself from the table to find Taylor and Alex.

"So um," she starts, and the air closes in with silence again. The words hang, but nothing comes out. How do you have this kind of conversation anyway? I need my script.

We sit in silence, the bustling of conversation swirling around at the surrounding tables.

I open my mouth to speak, but no words come out. I'm not even completely sure why I opened my mouth in the first place because I definitely don't know what I would say.

When words refuse to come, I settle for looking at her. Our eyes catch, and I can't seem to tear mine away again. All those sappy cliches about getting lost in someone's eyes really are true, but that doesn't mean I will subject them upon anyone or anything. I will not permit my mind to turn into sappy mush. I have dignity. Well…at least as much dignity as one can have in this particular situation.

I begin absently chewing on the inside of my cheek, unable to break the stare. To break the fragile trance we somehow slipped into.

I open my mouth slightly to say something. We can't sit here forever, I suppose…

"Co-"

"Hey kids, ready to go?" Taylor's voice cuts in, overlapping both my voice and Elisha's as she calls for him to come back.

I blink and shut my mouth. My and Connie's eyes break their connection and shoot down to the table or to Taylor, anything that was going to be said instantly whooshing away.

"Uh, yeah, I think we're good to go," I say, nodding and standing. I send a careful glance to Connie who also nods and stands up.

"Yeah, we should be done here," she says, folding her arms against herself and walks around the table to stand with us.

It was a long walk to the beach.

* * *

Punkteacher- Word to that, lol. :P Thanks for the review! 

antiIRONY- Seriously, I know right. I'd snag Charlie for myself, but Connie scares me and would totally take me out, lol. I'll have to grab him when she's not looking. Anyway, thank you! Hee!

Duckys- Only time will tell, hee. Thank you. :)

Banksiesbabe99- It's okay, darling. :) I've still got a lot of catching up to do on yours (yes, the one you've already finished, lol)…I went all summer with like no time to do so. And it's even a C/C one! Guh. I will catch up ASAP. Hee, dude, I'm jealous of Connie like constantly. Lol. Nice, eh? She's a bit slow. :giggles: And sorry for the long wait. I'm such a failure at life. Lol. :)

Tiff- Thanks, and I hope you found the chapter to be suitable. ;)

Blonde-brain- They're a bit slow on the uptake, lol. Sorry for the wait, and thanks for the review:)

Emma- Thanks Em. :) I'm so glad you're enjoying it! And of course, thanks for the review. You were number 100! Hee. :D Go you!

Agel15- Indeed, our sweet babies got themselves into yet another sticky mess. They do that sometimes, lol. I'm so glad you're enjoying it, and thanks very much for the review. :)


	15. Chapter 15

Here's Meme's chapter. She tends to whip 'em out faster than me. Heh. Hopefully I'll be more with the program this time around. Enjoy!

* * *

-Connie's POV- 

I knew this would happen. It had been in the back of my mind the entire trip… and the whole time we were making love. I knew this friendship, that meant more to me than my own life, would be destroyed, and I did nothing to stop it. I let my emotions and carnal urges get the best of me. Now my best friend, who I love more than anything, won't even look at me.

Did I do something wrong? Moved in a way I shouldn't, moaned too much or not enough? I know I was thumbs and fumbling, but it was my first time. His too. He couldn't have possibly had that bad of a time… Could he? Or is it that the worst has happened - the possibility that all those clichés about boys losing all respect for a girl when she sleeps with him too easily. Maybe I've repulsed him, disgusted him, made him question how the little the girl that he use to climb trees with could be such a whore, to the point of him not wanting to be friends anymore.

I find myself not looking at anything or anyone as we walk down the strip in search a record store. Elisha heard someone playing this really cool wooden flute in the park the other night, and now she's determined to find his CD. I hardly notice when we pass the store, and she and Charlie duck inside. I've walked a few down the street before I realize I'm alone and turn around to go back.

I slink onto the ground, my back resting rather uncomfortably against the storefront. The soft, gentle smell of orchid from the night before, replaced by a strong, pungent odor of coconut. I hate coconut. And black licorice. I hate coconut and black licorice. But mostly I hate whatever's happening to Charlie and me. I hate coconut, black licorice and whatever's happening.

"So how was it?" I jump as the sound of a familiar voice shatters my bubble of thought.

I turn my head to the side and find Elisha has exited the store and is now seated beside me. I wonder how long she's been there. I watch her twist the top off of her 7Up bottle and take a long sip before swallowing and looking at me expectedly.

"How was what?" I ask, hoping she's referring to omelet I had for breakfast. She can't possibly know… Can she?

My step sister raises her eyebrows at me and a ball forms in the pit of my stomach, suddenly nauseous. "I saw Charlie's clothes on the chair when I came in this morning and the blood on the sheets before we left."

I nod slowly, the little girl coming out of the corner store across the street with a huge bag of candy holding my gaze. She knows - no good can come out of this. "You didn't tell anyone, did you?" I enquire, my eyes widening. I can feel the color draining from my sun kissed face.

"Charlie's still alive, right?"

I nod again.

"Then obviously I haven't said anything to Taylor and Alex yet. The fact that they haven't killed him and all proves it."

The knot inside me tightens, and I gulp. What does she mean, 'yet'? "You plan to tell?"

Elisha just giggles and shakes her head. "I'm only kidding." She bumps my shoulder.

"Oh." I let out a heavy breath. "Thank God."

"So are you going to tell me how it was? As the older sister I have the right to know. Was it romantic and tender, or was it one of those unbridled passion, hot, monkey sex kind of things?"

My cheeks start to heat up almost instantly. I don't want to talk about last night. In fact, I don't even want to think about last night. Not after it ruined my life…or at least the most important person in it. I just want to be alone in my own bed at home. I want to pull my knees to my chest, curled under my warmest quilt, and I want to cry. Bawl until my eyes run dry and all that's left are strangled sobs.

I sigh and steal a swig of her soda, delaying as long as I can. "Neither really." I lament. "It hurt, for one…more than I thought it would. Not that I was actually doing much thinking at the time. I know he was trying to be gentle and all. He's my best friend he'd never want to hurt me, especially at a time like that. I'm sure he wanted it to be perfect.

"But honestly, I wasn't ready. I know I wasn't. I just wasn't thinking clearly last night. I got caught up in the moment. The heat of the night, the kisses, the smell of the fresh flowers. I was acting more on instinct and emotion, than thought. If I'd considered what I was doing, I'd have stopped.

"Truthfully, just falling asleep in his arms was the simple most amazing feeling or my life. It was so much better than the sex stuff. Feeling his bare skin against mine, strong arms wrapped tight around me as I listen to him breathe…It was almost magical. I never wanted that to end. But…" I sigh again. "As great as the cuddling was, it doesn't make up for the fact I'd always thought my first time would be with someone I was in love with."

"Take it from me," Elisha pats my arm supportively "that person is Charlie. You're very much in love with him. Anyone with eyes can see it. The sooner you accept it the better off you'll both be."

As my friend emerges from the record store empty-handed, I look up at him. For a brief second our eyes meet, and I feel like a light had just gone on in a dark room. But swiftly he looks away, and I literally feel the breath leave my body. I ruined it. I ruined everything.

I hate coconut, I hate black licorice, and I hate what's happen to me and Charlie.

* * *

Hockey-girl90- Thanks! 

Punkteacher- Evil school. :sigh: Lol, Charlie is gifted with messing things like that up. XD

Tiff- So glad you like it. :grins: Hee, you said I was funny. :D Yay! I'm always glad when things come out funny. It's a bummer when I think they're funny, but they're really not…lol. Thanks for the review!

PaceyAndJoey4EverandAlways- Starting off, nice pen name. Heh. Yay for PJ. Err, anyway. I'm so glad you like it. :D It's good to find fellow Charlie/Connie fans. :)

Banksiesbabe99- Aww, thanks. :blush: Hee hee, it's totally mind control. ;) I'm always so glad you enjoy. You rock!

Agel15- Heh, they excel at awkward situations. Hee, yes, ever-so-subtle Elisha. XD Glad you liked it!

Blonde-brain- Thanks for the review. :D

Supernatural523- Thank you. :) Yay for Charlie/Connie. :heart:


	16. Chapter 16

I'm so, so, so, so sorry this has taken so long to get posted. I've been suffering an acute infection of HarryPotter-itis. I'm addicted. Then with school, busyness, and the fact that I'm a wretched procrastinator, it all adds up to the lateness here. I hope you enjoy it nonetheless. I'm sorry it's so dreadfully short.

* * *

-Charlie's POV-

Hawaii really is an interesting place. It would be more interesting if my life wasn't one big black hole of awkwardness. I avoid Connie's eye at all costs. I honestly don't think I could possibly make myself into a bigger idiot if I tried.

So when Elisha pulled me into this Hawaiian music store, I had clutched onto the opportunity as if it was a rescue boat in the raging sea. Poetic, yes? Either way, I had needed a distraction.

I run my thumb over a random CD and watch Elisha walk out. I put the CD back down and start to follow until I see her sit down next to Connie. I freeze and watch words exchange between them. I can't make out what they're saying, but Connie looks really uncomfortable. If I walk over to look at those CDs by the door...

No! I will no eavesdrop. I am above that. Really. I really don't care what they're saying. Maybe Elisha's telling her about a bad reaction to the clam chowder.

Who am I kidding? I'm dying to know what they're saying, and those are _definitely_ not the faces of people whining about clam chowder. But I'm not going to listen in. I'm going to...scoot in this general direction...and focus on the pretty lava rocks...errr...well, lava rocks really aren't particularly pleasing to the eye but I refuse to eavesdrop on their conversation. It's really none of my business.

I pick up a lava rock and decide it really isn't that interesting at all, tossing it back down amongst its lava rock friends. This is making me uncomfortable just thinking about what they could be saying. What do girls talk about when they're alone? I mean, seriously, it's not like I'll ever get to know.

Dang, they moved a little and now I can't see their faces at all. At least before I was able to read their expressions...Their voices are quieter too, and I haven't been able to distinguish a single word. This bites. I'm a failure at casual eavesdropping. Screw this.

Noticing a lull in their conversation, I leave the store. My eyes lock on Connie's instantly – I just stand and stare. My heart skips, jolting my brain to look away. I advert my gaze a little to the side and shift. "So, uh, we ready to go?"

Elisha gives a look between me and Connie that I don't quite understand, but I know that if I dwell, it will be bad. Chances are it's connected to their conversation, and I might do something stupid like ask about it. Bad idea.

"We are," Elisha says, standing and smiling, closely followed by Connie. I continue to void her eye, becoming particularly interested in the sidewalk. I can't help but wonder where this ranks on the Awkward Scale – we've had a pretty close race so far.

When I realize they're already started walking, I clear my throat and trot along behind. Their occasional glances at each other are making me nervous. Paranoia's not a foreign thing to me, and I now really, _really_ want to know what they were talking about. Really bad.

"See anything you wanted?" Elisha asks me, sparking up conversation even though it was pretty obvious I hadn't seen anything particularly interesting, as I'm empty-handed.

"Not really," I reply with a shrug anyway. "Did you find the CD you wanted?" I ask in return, also ignoring that I knew good and well she hadn't. The only thing she bought was that 7UP.

"Nope. I may go back for more thorough search and inspection later."

Because she cut her search short to talk to Connie.

About something I really, honestly am going to stop wondering about.

Really.

Honest.

"That's cool," I say for no real reason at all. It's one of those things you say for the simple need to speak. Something to fill the empty air when there's absolutely nothing else you possibly can think of to say.

Other than blurting out a question about what they talked about.

Which I _won't_ be doing.

I glance over at Connie again and see her downcast eyes. She's got that kind of sullen, uncomfortable aura that I'm feeling myself. I'm suddenly overcome with the urge to make her smile at any cost. I just don't know what to do...especially with Elisha here.

We meet back up with Taylor, Alex, the adults, and Shawn for dinner. There's a luau not too far from the hotel, and Shawnie had convinced us all how thrilling it would be to go, so we're on our way.

Luckily we're not required to wear anything specific...though in a split second of normality, Connie teased that I'd make the hula skirt look hot. Of course, I naturally shot back an instant "not as hot as you would," which of course clammed us up and has terminated all conversation for the night thus far. We need to try that "think before you speak" business.

Standing near the punch bowl, I swirl my drink a little and observe as a few guys with flowery leis around their necks yell "I got lei'd!" and wink at hula girls, likely finding themselves to be very clever. This, of course, led on to arguments over whoa had the "better lei," which then progressed to guys taking off their leis and walking up to the hula girls and asking "you wanna get lei'd?" Safe to say they were drenched with the dark red punch before the the words fully left their mouths. I, naturally, found this intensely amusing in my lonesome and pathetic state. It's just not a smart thing to do. As clever as it surely seems in your head, ultimately, it just becomes a source of amusement for the guy standing along at a punch table, wondering if he'll ever be able to talk to his best friend in the same way again.

"They're pretty idiotic, aren't they?"

I jumped, nearly leaving my skin as I instantly looked beside me, finding Connie looking at out friendly neighborhood "lei boys," just as I had been.

After a moment I nod and return to our observation. "Yeah."

"Do you think they really believe some girl is going to find that charming?" she continues after a slight pause.

"Who knows," I say, almost as more of a statement than a question.

Silence returns, and I mentally kick myself. She's trying to start conversation, and what do I do? I freeze up with short, pointless answers. I need to say something. Nice weather, isn't it?

I clear my throat. "Uh, want some punch?" I ask awkwardly, motioning to the punch bowl with my drink.

She shakes her head. "No, I'm fine."

Slowly nodding my head, I shove my free hand into my pocket and rock on my heels a little. Eventually the desire to speak at all dissipates as we share a people-watching moment. Hula girls and guys in Hawaiian shirts. Leis, punch, flowery decoration. The whole she-bang.

The punch swirls in my cup as I absently revolve it.

"What were you and Elisha talking about outside of the shop earlier?"I suddenly blurt out before I can stop myself. When I see her turn an odd shade of scarlet and glance over at me with a look of some angry-confusion mixture, I instantly regret the outburst. I really need to learn to control the words that come out of my mouth. How did that happen?

"Nothing," she says, her face now the same as the punch as she makes a strong effort not to look in my direction.

Knowing that I should stop while I'm ahead – or at least while I still have full bodily function – I decide to shut up.

I sigh and take to nibbling on the rim of the plastic punch cup, wondering how many times I can possibly take a decent situation and ruin it.

* * *

ShortAtntionSpaz- Hehe, no kidding. Our poor kiddies missed that memo, however. I'm glad you like the story. :)

Tiff- Thanks, and all accounts. :D

Hockey-girl90- Thank you. :)

Banksiesbabe99- I know right! We should be TRAGEDY as a genre for the story! Hehe. I agree! All Charlies and Connies should totally be together. :) Speaking of Charlie's and Connie's being together, I still need to finish your Charlie/Connie story! I have been hardcore busy/distracted, but I haven't forgotten you, love. :)

Blonde-brain- Depressing thought, isn't it? I'm glad you like it, and sorry for the long wait.

Punkteacher- Thanks!

Agel15- Thanks for the feedback! Hee. :)

PJFan200485- Hee, thanks:waves the Charlie and Connie flag: I'm glad you like. :D


	17. Chapter 17

This is yet more proof that it's a good thing I'm co-writing this with Meme. She is SO much better at the whole "punctual" thing. She had this done in days. Hehe. You all should thank her for her greatness. She's trying to get me to stop slackin'. 'Tis tough for me. :P So here is her chapter.

* * *

-Connie's POV- 

Everyone else has already gone to bed, but I can't sleep. For starters the house keeper didn't change my sheets this morning, so I know they're the same ones everything happened on last night. And while it was okay to spend the night on them yesterday, today is another question. Though even if I had a clean bed to crawl up in, I wouldn't. It's hard to sleep when your head is full.

I tuck my sketch pad under my arm, gather my pencils, slip my feet into my flip flops, and quietly escape the suite without bothering anyone. The halls of the hotel are basically deserted with everyone either out on the beach partying as the Luau wares into the wee morning hours, or tucked safely in bed while the sounds of the water crashing gently on the rock lulls them to sleep. I worry for a second what would happen if Taylor or Alex catch me out of the room, but then relax when I realize for them to tell my Dad, they'd first have to admit they themselves were out after hours.

There's a sofa in the lobby. A richly upholstered one that's stuffed to almost bursting, and before I know it, I'm seated on it, pad open and pencil poised. But what to draw? Without warning my hand takes off on its own, the tip of my pencil dancing across the paper as the sketch reveals itself to me bit by bit. Round pinchable cheeks, strong pudgy nose and a mischievous smile set on kissable lips. Charlie, ever lurking in my subconscious.

"Couldn't sleep either, huh?" His voice shatters my tranquility, and I sigh. So much for lurking in my subconscious...he seems to be lurking anywhere I am, in general.

I shake my head without looking up from my sketchbook, trying to get the creases around his eyes just right, while also trying to shield the drawing from his view with my body. "No, I just couldn't get comfortable in that bed."

I don't look up to see him nod, but his shadow, which had fallen over me earlier, is visible, and I see his gesture in it. "Yeah, I've been thinking about us...and last night a lot too."

How he knows the real reason for my sleeplessness if beyond me. A lucky guess or the same cosmic connection we've always shared, I'm not sure. All I know is I don't want to think about it, and I really do not want to think about last night. What I want to do is just sit here and sketch. I want to draw until my fingers are raw and my pencil is worn down to nothing but a nub.

With yet another sigh I raise my head and look at him, sleepy eyed, messy haired, clothes crumpled and barefoot. Gorgeous as always. There are now four things I hate. Coconut, black licorice, what's happened to Charlie and I, and the fact I'm falling more in love with him with each passing second. "I didn't say I was thinking about us, or last night."

"Can I sit?" He gestures to the spot on the sofa beside me and I nod before he does so. "Cons, I've been thinking about it every minute since I woke up this morning, how can you not be?"

I shut my drawing and set it on the small coffee table in front of us, closing my eyes tightly for a second to clear my head. I turn to him, pulling my legs up onto the cushion to face him fully. "What is there to think about, Charlie? Two life long friends were caught up in the romance and wonder of paradise and got carried away. They did something they both figured out afterward was a mistake, and they regret it. I'm sure it happens a lot. It's a pretty simple situation when you look back on it; no need to fret over it."

"I never said I thought it was a mistake, Connie; I wouldn't because I don't, and I don't think you do either. And I know you don't really believe it's a simple situation that there's no need to fret about. Especially when you're so obviously worrying about it as we speak."

"I am not worrying." I force an eye roll for effect.

"Oh no?"

"No, I'm not."

"Than why are you doing this?" I feel Charlie's strong hand cup mine and gently pry my fingers open. Clenched tightly in my fist is a ring my Grandfather gave me before he past away. Every time I'm upset, I squeeze it firmly in my hand until it leaves a mark on my palm and hurts to open or close. Most of the time, like now, I do it without even realizing it.

I look at our hands, Charlie's thumb rubbing the sore spot on my palm and suddenly I smile. I don't know why, but I can not hold it in. My best friend smiles back, moving his fingers down to my wrist. His hand closes around it and pulls my arm gently until my palm is just centimeters from his mouth. In the blink of an eye he's pressed his lips to my aching hand and instantly the pain fades away.

* * *

Banksiesbabe99- Thanks, darling. Hee. I wish I could go to Hawaii...err...it'd be nice. XD Yay for Charlie/Connie moods. :D I look forward to it. :bounces around: 

Blonde-brain- Thanks. :)

Hockey-girl90- Thank you for the review. Hee.

ShortAtntionSpaz- Thank you, hee hee hee.

Tiff- Yay for updates. :) Yay for Charlie/Connie! Yay for Harry Potter! GOBLET OF FIRE! 16 days! Eee. :D

Punkteacher- Hee, thanks so much. I'm glad you were amused. :) I'm glad to have helped. I've been in the biggest slump lately. It's a good thing Meme always keeps me on my toes.


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